Sins of the Father
by phoenixreal
Summary: AU: Ichigo is quiet and withdrawn, and no one really knows why. He is fiercely protective of his friends, but they don't know the truth behind the bruises. Isshin blames his son for his wife's death, and subsequent alcoholism. Then, one night, it all changes when his father goes too far. Warnings: Graphic Non-con, lemons. Abusive!Isshin Mentor!Urahara (Ch5 update), Temp Complete
1. Chapter 1:Broken Beyond Repair

_**Sins of the Father**_

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_A/N: First response to a fic request. I blame writing Sherlock lately for my jumping at this one. I've got two other fic requests in the wings, and will no doubt be writing them, but this one is in line with the recent Sherlock fics I've been writing even though it is Bleach universe._

_Set in National Agency Alternative Universe (my own creation)_

_Warnings: Non-con and abuse of a minor in the first chapter (counts as non-con incest). Lemons later on. Isshin is the bad guy. Urahara!mentor only. Pairing will be Grimmjow or Shiro, not sure if one or possibly both._

_See bottom A/N for details on the universe I'm creating._

_1/16: Final editing for Chapter One complete unless there are glaring mistakes. It went from being 6 pages first run through to where it sits now at ten pages, plus two pages of notes._

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Full Summary: After losing his wife, and nearly his oldest child, during a mugging gone wrong, Dr. Isshin Kurosaki found himself finding comfort in a bottle. He knew at first that it was obviously not the fault of the nine year old child with the bullet wound in his leg. As the haze of alcohol took hold, however, his mind would descend into dark and frightening places, places he would never go without the alcohol in his veins. In these places he blamed the boy who his wife was protecting, the boy that the love of his life put before her own life, and the boy that she stepped in front of to stop the second bullet that ripped through her heart and killed her instantly. Mornings of waking to find his son bruised and cut would come, and he would quietly stitch him and explain it was entirely his fault for upsetting him the night before. And soon, the doctor convinced himself of this fact. Everything was the orange haired brat's fault. If he'd never been born, he'd still have Masaki. If he'd hadn't had to be walked home from karate that night in the rain, he'd still have Masaki. It all came down to him. And soon, even sober, he found himself taking out his frustration of the boy.

Ichigo absorbed and because the quietly studious boy that everyone knew. He wasn't one to be messed with, as anyone who decided to attack him realized. He fought back, and decimated anyone who dared attack him or his close circle of friends. The bruises and cuts he bore most days were evidence of the sheer number of fights he got in, so it was no wonder no one questions extras when they showed up. He rarely spoke to others, and often put himself in situations where he was in danger of being in a fight. No one of course, could see what lie beneath the surface. And no one most certainly ever saw the tears he shed.

Things changed one night, his father stumbling home after a long night of surgery followed by a few quick hours at the bar chasing bears with shot after shot. He comes home to find his son sleeping in his room, and something snaps, and he can't hold his anger back any longer. Hurt, and scared, Ichigo found his way outside into the rain because what his father has done is beyond his ability to understand. He runs into someone in the rain, and the last he sees is a green and white hat before he slips unconscious.

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**Chapter One**

_Broken Beyond Repair_

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Ichigo's eyes were heavy as he headed to school that morning. It was no doubt going to be a long one. His eye was aching. In fact, everything was aching. Pop had come home last night a little wound up, and it ended like usual. He didn't even remember saying anything; well, he knew he didn't say anything, because he rarely if ever spoke. He'd just been in the kitchen when he stumbled in, and then he was drug upstairs to his room, the door slamming shut, and pain exploding in his face. He sighed and wondered how he ended up like this. School was his only escape these days, and he wished it was different. He remembered, before The Event happened. His father had been so loving, caring, in fact, he'd just been amazing. But now… And the worst was if it hadn't been for him, it would have never happened. The Event would have never been a _thing _like it was now. He'd been told that so many times, and it was true, no matter how he looked at it, it was completely true. Her life or his, and her life was worth so much more because she was so important. She was a wife and mother, he was…well he was no one. His twin sisters now had to grow up alone because of him. He barely could face them when he was home. How could he tell Karin and Yuzu how sorry he was for what he'd done?

"Good night, Ichi, dude, you get in another fight on the way home?" came Renji's voice as he neared the entrance of the school parking lot. Ichigo nodded, sighing. "Man, got yerself a shiner. Nice one. Other guy look as bad?" the red head continued.

Renji was Ichigo's very best friend. Ichigo didn't talk much, or at all if he could avoid it, but Renji more than made up for it. Ichigo nodded to him, a slight smile on his face, thinking of all the times they'd got themselves into fights. Together they were something that no one messed with. Renji, Ichigo, and a few of his other friends had met as children in karate. He had bonded instantly with the fiery loudmouthed red-haired boy. They shared a similar problem; both had hair that was naturally a quite unnatural color and were often targeted for it. Renji's folks were amazing, and Ichigo often found himself the subject of their affection. There were many nights he spent with the Abarais, eating pizza and watching movies like a family should. The truth was he was incredibly jealous of his best friend. Not that he ever voiced it.

"Really, Ichigo?" came Tatsuki's voice as they neared the building. He shrugged and grimaced, knowing the concern that was coming his way from the tall dark haired girl. "I swear, I'm going to start walking you home," she muttered, and fretted over his bruised face. He waved her off affectionately.

Orihime, Tatsuki's girlfriend and one of Ichigo's other oldest friends stood nearby with a look of worry on her face. She was a sweet girl, but she was a habitual worrier and constantly nervous and anxious. Orihime used to try to get Ichigo's attention, until she realized that he wasn't interested in girls. Then shortly thereafter she realized that she was more interested in Tatsuki, and she had just been using Ichigo to hide from that fact. They'd been going strong for two years now, since they were thirteen. It was good. A relationship was a bad idea for Ichigo. He wasn't worth such things.

He was pulled by the hands toward class by the girls. Their teacher's voice was lost on him. He really didn't need to hear the lesson; he knew most of it already. After all, when he was home, he was usually locked in his bedroom reading or studying. That was all he was good for; after all, to get good grades and he brought home nothing less than perfect grades. He found out the hard way what happened when they weren't perfect. He was top of his 1A class and only his friend Uryu Ishida was any competition, and that was a friendly rivalry. He often studied over at Uryu's house. His dad worked with his father at hospital. Ryuken Ishida, though, was a different sort. His wife was also dead, passed due to illness, and Uryu's dad had been Ichigo's mother's sister. So technically Uryu was his cousin, he supposed. But for some reason, Ryuken did not like talking about his mother or father, and his own father didn't speak of the Ishidas. Ichigo and Uryu were most definitely not to refer to the other's father as uncle, either. Ryuken was rather aloof and arrogant, but it was obvious he carried more affection for his son than Ichigo's own father. Again, he was jealous. But he would never voice that either.

The truth was truly Ichigo rarely voiced anything at all. From that night, in the hospital, when he cried and cried and told his father that he missed her so much, things had changed. His sisters had been taken away and his father looked at him with eyes that hardened. He told him never say her name or say the word mom again. Then it progressed. After several drunken beatings for speaking "out of turn", Ichigo simply stopped trying. Nothing he said was right, and it only brought on his father's ire. Even when he wasn't drunk, it visibly affected him to hear his son's voice. Ichigo was unusually intelligent, and he knew the signs, the tautness of the shoulders, the pinching of the face, and so many other tells. So he simply stopped talking, it brought him less pain in the end. And slowly, it seemed his voice simply became a thing of the past for most things. He settled into his seat for a long, boring day being taught things he already knew. Then the teacher did something that surprised him.

"Class, we have two new students today, transferred in from another area school outside Karakura. I'd like you to welcome them and make sure that you help them get acclimated," the teacher said with a smile, and opened the door to let in two very unusual looking boys. Even Ichigo looked up with interest. Maybe this day would get interesting.

The first was tall, well over six feet, with messy baby blue hair. He smiled easily and Ichigo could hear the audible sighs of the female population of the room, because he was well built and strong. How could he only be fifteen, Ichigo though…? The second was a bit shorter, closer to Ichigo's height, and was obviously an albino. His hair and skin had no pigment whatsoever, but his eyes were what drew his eyes. The sclera were black, and the irises were gold. The overall effect was startling. And beautiful. He had an easy smirk, and looked more mischievous than anything. If he noticed the curious stares, he was very good at ignoring them.

"Oi, I'm Grimmjow Jagerjaqez," the blue haired boy said. "Yes, I'm fifteen, but I'm half German, hence the name."

"And I'm Shiro Orchiha, this idiot's best friend. And yes, you may stare at the glory that is my beautifully white skin. Lovely, don't ya think? Ah well, I hang out with Grimmjow here most the time, may as well, since I live with the bastard," the albino said, punching the taller boy in the side.

"Language, Shiro," the teacher chided, with little heat. "Grimmjow, take the last seat in the first row behind Ichigo, and Shiro, take the one next to it in the second row. I'm afraid starting after term means you get to sit in the rear of the room. Please don't make me regret seating you next to each other for the rest of the year, or I will move you to opposite sides of the room."

Both boys shrugged and went to their seats, Ichigo's eyes following them warily. Were they to be new rivals, or new friends? He really didn't want to get in any more fights than he had too, and the blue haired guy was built really well. Granted, between him, Renji and Chad, they'd brought down bigger brutes than him. But Ichigo really was so tired of fighting all the time. Most the time he just wanted to be left alone, to be perfectly honest. However, between his father's anger and hatred, and the animosity he gained for be intelligent and having an outrageous hair color, he was never left alone.

Grimmjow's eyes gravitated to the fellow students with strange hair colors like he had. He couldn't help it. It came with the territory, and he found himself rewarded with a boy with brilliant, cherry red hair in a high pony tail, complete with angular tattoos and a headband, and another with a mop of unruly spikey bright orange hair. He glanced, and sure enough, both had eyebrows to match their hair, meaning they were like Grimmjow and blessed with uncanny coloration naturally. However, the one with the orange hair, Ichigo the teach had said, was sporting a very impressive black eye and sat with the care of someone who had had his ribs pummeled. He frowned a bit, because the boy was…submissive was the only word he could come up with because when he walked by his eyes drifted away and down, and he didn't make eye contact. Interesting, he thought, interesting and it set off every alarm in his head. He couldn't imagine the kid being aggressive and fighting by his own choice, not with that posture, that horribly familiar posture.

The day drug on and finally it was lunch, and Grimmjow was still observing the boy in front of him. The entire class he didn't take notes, or even look up at the teacher; he doodled random drawings in his notebook and appeared to barely pay attention to what the teacher was saying the entire time. He sighed and looked up as the bell rang and watched as he barely reacted to the change in schedule.

"Ichi! C'mon, nice day, we're going to the roof, ya comin, bro?" the red head came bouncing over toward them. The orangette gave a nod of the head, but didn't speak. "Okay, what's for lunch, yer pop pack anything or he forget again?" Again, there was no verbal response, just a shrug. "Ah, well, ma packed an extra for ya anyway, c'mon," the redhead said, and drug him out of his seat, Ichigo stumbling a bit until he caught up. The redhead didn't catch the grimace cross his face as he stood.

Shiro came over and leaned over into Grimmjow's ear. "Notice anything, Grimmy?"

"I did. Looks real familiar, doesn't it?" he asked the albino with a frown.

"Might mention it to Kisuke when we get to the shoten. I mean, I know it's been a while, but it looks a lot familiar to me. Wanna go up to the roof and investigate?" Shiro said with a shrug, grabbing his own lunch bag. "Even if it's nothing, we might make some friends. Couldn't hurt, then I don't have to just hang around yer bluebell ass all the time."

Together they found their way to the roof and discovered a boisterous and loud group. A short dark haired girl, a taller well-built brunette girl, a girl with pale brown hair, the red head, Ichigo, a really tall dark skinned guy, and a skinny brunette boy sat around together eating all manner of lunches. The strangest was the girl with the brown hair. She had a loaf of bread and a jar of sweet bean paste. As soon as the door opened, all eyes were on them. The redhead smiled and waved them over.

"Hey, new guys, come join our crazy group, why not, ya got the hair to fit in with me'n'Ichi. Imagine you get picked on too, eh?" he said.

The two boys nodded and sat down among the seemingly rag tag crowd. Renji grinned again. "First, round of introductions, we all know you guys, but you don't know us. I'm the loudmouth, Renji Abarai. This here is the quiet one, Ichigo Kurosaki, so don't mind him if he don't talk much, I talk enough for both of us. That over there is Arisawa Tatsuki and her girlfriend Orihime Inoue, watch out, and do not follow them when they walk off enough or you may see more girl parts than you want. Then, this snotty bastard here is Uryu Ishida, Ichi's cousin and closest rival. They compete for first spot in 1A back and forth. And then this here is my chic, Rukia Kuchiki, so hands off, you look like a handsy type, there, white-boy. And the tall dude here is Sado, or Chad as Ichigo calls him, and no one else is around today. So there ya go."

"You know, I know you talk for Ichigo, but the rest of us are quite capable of speech," the dark haired Uryu said, rolling his eyes and pushing his silver wire-framed glasses up his nose.

"Sorry, I can't help it!" Renji said and Ichigo grinned, picking at a bento box that Renji had handed him.

Grimmjow picked up on the vibe easily. Everyone was concerned about the orangette but no one said anything. Renji brought food for him, doubtless every day, considering that the boy was much too thin. There were several glances from the girls to see if he was eating the offered food. Sado said nothing but his eyes steadily came to rest on him every now and then. Uryu made nervous glances toward him now and then. There was the air of a group of people who didn't know what to do with their concern or even how to approach it. That only confirmed Grimmjow's thoughts that there was something off about the boy. Something very familiar to people like him and Shiro.

"So, how did you guys all get to be close?" Shiro asked, leaning back against a concrete block and sprawling himself out easily, eating slowly from his bento as his eyes gaged those around him.

Tatsuki smiled. "Ichigo and I started karate together as kids, then Renji and Rukia came around, and in school we met Orihime, and Ichigo brought along Uryu one day when he was staying over at his place, and Chad came around when he intervened when Ichigo and Renji were getting their asses kicked in an ally one day in middle school. We're missing a couple others, but they don't hang with us all the time. Except maybe Uryu's _boyfriend._"

Uryu rolled his eyes. "He's not my boyfriend. Yet," he said with a subtle grin, eating a riceball carefully.

Rukia leaned forward, a petite thing with violet eyes and black hair. "He doesn't look it but he is a total man-slut."

"I am not. I just like having someone around, you know. And besides, Szayel fits in perfectly around here, he's a few years older, out of school, but he has _pink_ hair, for goodness sakes," Uryu said with pride. "Besides, he's got the cutest smile. And he just screams that he's all for…"

"Ew! No details, Uryu! Don't like hearing them from Orihime and Arisawa, don't want to hear about your sex life, thanks!" exclaimed Renji.

Everyone started laughing, except Ichigo, who merely smiled, and picked at his food still. Grimmjow had noticed that he ate far less than the others, and he seemed to mess with it in an effort to convince the others he was eating. The conversations continued and Grimmjow and Shiro had yet to hear anything from the orange haired boy. That was worrisome. So they went back to class with more of a puzzle than they had before.

Ichigo liked the two new boys. He was glad they seemed to fit in so well. He liked having others around. It made him feel like he was useful and wanted, even if he knew he really wasn't. Ah, how class drug in the afternoon. It would take forever to pass, and that was okay, because then he would go home, and if he was lucky his dad would be too tired and drunk when he came home to bother with him tonight since he was on shift until midnight. Maybe he'd pass out on the couch and never make it upstairs… That would be perfect for today, because it had been a pretty good day all around.

"Ichigo?" came the teacher's voice, breaking into his mental reverie. "I asked what the answer to the third problem on the board was."

He looked at it for a few minutes, a complex calculus problem that should have required a page of paper to solve. He shrugged and answered shortly, his voice cracking somewhat from the continued disuse. About the only time he used his voice was in class and when he needed to get something across that he couldn't get across any other way than with speaking, like when the teacher decided to call on him. She was always sure he wasn't paying attention. Which he wasn't really, but with the way his mind worked, he didn't need to specifically pay attention. He absorbed everything in the environment whether he listened directly or not. It was so annoying because he hated to say anything. He felt his voice was something that wasn't wanted. He'd heard that for years after all.

"Did you do that in your head, Ichigo?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered simply and went back to doodling on his paper instead of writing any kinds of notes. She always acted so impressed. It wasn't that difficult, and seriously, she should be used to it by now.

He never took notes, but then he didn't have to. He had a photographic memory. Everything stayed in there, every word every action and that was part of his problem, of course. He couldn't forget a thing, not the Event, not the words his father said, and they would often replay in his head, unbidden and unwanted, at the worst times. The worst was when he was flooded with the memory of the Event. Every detail was fresh and vivid, and he could even smell the rain. And of course, just thinking of the Event made the whole thing play out like some sort of movie in his head.

_"Mom, look at the river!" the little boy cried, pointing to where the river was rushing with foaming white crests._

_"Yes, sweetheart. It's getting full isn't it!" she answered, her hand squeezing the tiny hand of her oldest boy. _

_The boy loved his mom so much it made him ache sometimes. His world revolved around her, and her beautiful face. Then it all went wrong._

_"Freeze, there, sister," came a thick voice._

_She held him by the arm as they faced a man with a gun drawn. Masaki stared at him. Ichigo was shaking. He'd never seen a gun up close. "Money, now," he said. Ichigo was so frightened he started to cry. "Shut the kid up!" the gunman screamed. _

_"He's scared, leave him alone!" she cried, looking for her wallet and throwing it at the man._

_"Shut him up or I will," he said, picking up the wallet and finding little money. "Where's the rest?"_

_"That's all I have, we were just at karate, I didn't take anything with me!" she exclaimed. Ichigo's cries grew louder as his fear rose._

_"I told you to shut him up," the gunman growled and shot Ichigo in the leg. He collapsed with a scream, and Masaki dropped beside him._

_"Baby! Ichigo!" she cried and looked up with teary eyes at the gunman._

_"Well, might as well finish the brat," he muttered and pointed the gun again._

_A mother's instinct is to protect her child, no matter the consequence, and Masaki was no different, she dropped over her child, even as a bullet ripped through her back and lodged into her heart. She collapsed on top of him, and his cries stopped, out of shock more than anything else, but the man decided they were both dead, and left. He'd never intended to let either of them live. He didn't wear a mask, after all._

"Ichigo!" came a voice, shaking him out of the memory. He blinked and was staring at Renji. "Hey man, lost ya there, ready to head home? Wanna come by mine tonight?"

Ichigo really did want to go to Renji's. He had a horrid feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't explain. Instead he shook his head and tapped his books. Renji nodded and headed off. Ichigo hesitated. If he didn't go soon, he'd see Karin and Yuzu and they'd ask about his eye. So he hurried, choosing to ignore anyone else that tried to talk to him on the way out. He tried to hide a wince when someone ran their elbow into his sore ribs, but wasn't entirely successful. He just had to hope no one was looking.

Renji stood at the doorway with a frown as he watched his friend run home. There was a tap on his shoulder and he found himself looking at the new boys.

"What's up with yer friend, anyway?" Shiro asked. Renji sighed deeply.

"Wish I knew," he said. "He's been like that since his mom was murdered when he was nine. They were walking home from karate one night in the rain, and this mugger jumped them. Shot Ichigo in the leg, he's got a killer scar from it, and she jumped in front of the second shot, killed her instantly. Him and his mom were tight. I don't think he ever got over the loss. Rarely talks now."

Grimmjow and Shiro exchanged a look. "And the black eye he's sportin?" Shiro asked.

Renji looked up with a cautious look. "Fights. You said so yerself, hair color gets attention ya don't want, that and he's hella smart."

"But that's not all, is it?" Grimmjow asked, arching a blue brow.

Renji bit his lip, wondering if he was going too far. They had just met these two after all. "I…well…"

"Look, we're foster kids," Shiro said finally. "We live with a man named Kisuke Urahara who took us both in when we lived in Tokyo. We've been around the system and all kinds of families. We can see home problems a mile away. And that boy has home problems."

"Well, I don't know for sure, seems to me he is down on himself all the time, and he has a lot more bruises than I've seen him take in fights, but I can't say. He lives with his dad and his twin sisters, and they seem nice enough when I go visit. His dad's a doctor, works with Ishida's dad, but I know his dad can't stand him. He doesn't stop them from going to each other's houses though," Renji said with a sigh. "I mean, it could be nothing, but if he won't talk, what do we do? And no one would believe us if we said his dad, a well-known doctor, was doing anything to him. Even though I know he is. I can see it when he's at my house, ya know. The way he's so surprised at the little things my mom does for him, you know, like he's never had anyone do something as simple as pack a lunch for him."

"We'll talk to Kisuke. Maybe he can help or something, what's his address?" Grimmjow said with a smile. Renji nodded and headed off to his own house after he'd given it to them. He wasn't sure if it was right, but he wanted to do something. Ichigo had been becoming more and more distant lately.

_-oooooo-Kurosaki Residence-oooooo-_

Ichigo got in the door and groaned inwardly. He'd misjudged time because Yuzu was in the kitchen. It wasn't his fault that the stupid gang of idiots from their rival school had been between him and home _again_. He was so tired of them giving him grief. He couldn't help it that he happened to have beat their best chess master earlier in the summer. They shouldn't have challenged him.

He blinked and smiled as she came out. "Ichi-nii!" she exclaimed, seeing his face. "What happened to your face?"

He shook his head. "Fight. M'fine, Yuzu," he said, his voice rough. He hated his voice so much, and talking reminded him how much he hated it. Yuzu sighed and shook her head.

"I wish you'd stay out of trouble, you know how dad worries," she said, and he couldn't help the flinch that went through him at the mention of his dad. Worries, yeah, he wanted to tell Yuzu. Worries that I'll tell someone what he does after they're sleeping, worries someone who can do something will notice the bruises, worries that someone will question a lot of things. No, he couldn't tell Yuzu anything. She loved their dad so much. The door banged open and he heard Karin come in.

"Ichi! What the hell?" she said, coming around to see his face. "Don't tell me those boys went after you and Renji again?"

Ichigo just shrugged. "It's fine. Got homework, g'night," he said, heading up the stairs and waving behind him.

"Ichi-nii! Won't you be down for dinner?" Yuzu called, wiping her hands on the apron, flour dust poofing around her rather artfully.

"Nah, not hungry," he called back softly and there was a thud of the closing door.

Karin looked at Yuzu and saw the worry lining her sister's face. "What's wrong with him, Karin?" she asked finally.

Karin shook her head. "I don't know, but there's something going on, something I don't like. And as much as I hate to think it, I think goat-face has something to do with it."

Yuzu frowned. "Why do you think that, Karin?"

"Think about it, Yuzu. He never comes down when pop's home. He never talks to him, hell he barely talks to us or anyone else for that matter. And then he leaves before we can see him in the morning, comes home looking like a punching bag, and I know Renji doesn't look that bad, I saw him today," she said, eyes drifting to the veritable shrine to their mother, and the distinct lack of other family photos that didn't include her. "And you know Pop's been drinking at the bars most nights. I smell the sake all over his clothes when I do the laundry."

Yuzu looked pained. She had a lot of affection for both her brother and her father. "But he wouldn't hurt Ichi-nii would he?"

"I would have said no, but I'm not so sure…Ichigo isn't the only distant one lately. I just wish I knew what was going on. Pop's out until well past we're asleep, and he comes home stumbling drunk nearly every night. And sometimes I hear things…and I don't know what they are."

The twins ate dinner and set back two plates, one of which they knew would go uneaten. Yuzu dumped the plate away from the night before and felt her chest tighten. What if Karin was right? What if their dad was at fault for their brother's withdrawal? They knew he still blamed himself for their mother's death, it was hard not blame himself when she died protecting him, but that had been six years ago. As she did the dishes, she cried. She just wanted the family to be whole again, and since that terrible night it had been so very broken.

Darkness descended on the quiet household eventually, Ichigo at his desk, and Karin and Yuzu had gone to bed. Ichigo closed his books, tired. He'd finished homework for the next week already. It was tiring but then he could indulge himself in his private pursuits, in his mind of course. That was the only place he was permitted any pursuits of his own after all. He'd taken his mother from his family, so he didn't deserve to pursue any hobbies other than his school work. Becoming successful was the least he could do for taking away someone as important as his mother. He laid down thinking about his new friends. He supposed they were friends, well as close to friends as he would ever let people become, he supposed. He smiled to himself, thinking of them. It was a nice thought to fall asleep on. Sadly, his sleep would not remain undisturbed this night. Tonight was the night everything changed.

The banging open of his door against the wall woke him with a start. He sat up in his bed, gasping at the sudden noise. The room dark and he smelled the wafting scent of stale sake. The clock told him it was three in the morning. The door slammed closed and he heard the lock click. Hadn't he locked that when he came to bed, he thought? Sometimes it deterred his father when he came home this drunk, making him give up on his drunken reasoning to beat the child who he felt caused his wife's death. And when he was this drunk, his dead wife was all that was on his mind. But he was usually quiet, to keep Karin and Yuzu from hearing. There was no way they didn't hear that, he thought.

"Look at ya," he slurred, lurching forward, running a hand over his short black hair, eyes drifting about the room, incapable of any sort of focus. "Sleepin' like a babe, not a care in tha world, huh?" he asked. Ichigo knew better than to speak when he started in. That had ended in more than a few missing baby teeth before their time, and two permanent teeth that had to be replaced. "So relaxed. Should be ya mom that is relaxed, not ya, freeloading brat. Can't b'live that ya lived and she died, ya know? Shoulda died too, woulda let ya bleed out ifn they tol me she was dead already, ya know, never would 'ave fixed ya that night…"

As he spoke he stumbled closer. Ichigo could hear his sisters outside. Oh gods, he'd woken them up with the slamming of the door, unless for some reason they hadn't been asleep yet. They couldn't ignore this, because they'd hear him, he was practically yelling tonight. He'd obviously had way more to drink than normal. His sisters would be let into how weak and pathetic and disgraceful he had become. He'd hoped to hide it from them until he could leave in a couple years and go to college. It seemed fate was against him, however.

"All day, patch up people, gunshot wounds, ya know? Saved a woman, shot through the chest and I saw my Masaki layin' there. I coulda saved her, if I'd let yer stupid, ungrateful ass die instead, you know? Spent fuckin' hours in surgery on that'n. And I kept thinkin' if I can save her, I coulda saved Masaki. But no, I fuckin' saved yer worthless hide!"

Ichigo heard the door rattle. Oh, go away, he thought, as the first punch landed across his jaw, sending him slamming back into the wall with a bang. He swallowed hard against the fear that always rose in his throat, because he always wondered when he would take it too far. He'd had so many things stitched back up the morning after one of these nights, and plastered and casted. Having a doctor for a father came in handy, especially when he was the one to inflict the injuries. Ichigo didn't want the girls to hear this, or see this, and his father obviously was too drunk to hear, or he was too drunk to care. He still was silent, pain blossoming in his head and his jaw, widening and spreding.

"Ya should bleed, for her, for me, and ya know that," he said and something changed. Ichigo's hands were crossed over his chest, and his dad just stared at him, eyes cloudy. Then he began to smile, a leering, half smile half snarl, and Ichigo's heart began to beat even faster. This person was not his father, no, not even the father that hit him for being the cause of all his pain. What was staring at him now…was something else. The eyes, there was something desperately wrong with the eyes…

"Masaki?" he asked, slurring terribly, and dropped to his knees on the end of the bed. Ichigo shook his head violently leaning back away from him into the wall. He was now pulled into the corner of the bed against the wall, feet pressed down into the mattress and his knees tucked under his chin. His arms were splayed beside him against the sides of the wall as he thrummed in confusion. This was unknown. He knew when he was going to be hit, usually the ribs were marked by his father on these drunken nights, but this, this was different and completely unknown.

"Masaki," his father whispered, crawling forward on the bed until Ichigo was caged under him, his hands planted on either side of his son's head, knees resting on either side of his feet. Isshin reached out and grabbed his hair with surprising gentleness, fingers twining in the orange softness that looks so much like his mother's. "You cut ya hair, why'd ya do that? Lik'd it longer…I miss ya, and those brown eyes…miss ya so much…"

"Stop, please," Ichigo choked out finally, the shock ebbing away and turning to sheer terror. Why did he think he was his mother? "I'm Ichigo, I'm not mom, please, what are you doing, Pop!"

His head was yanked forward by his hair painfully and he was captured in a bruising kiss by his father, tongue sloppily forcing into his mouth around his teeth and tongue. He was frozen in place for another long moment, shocked that his dad would ever do something like this even at his drunkest; he'd never called him by his mother's name, never, he didn't even speak her name most times. Ichigo's eyes went wide and he started pushing him away franticly, hands grappling at shoulders, then at his throat. He dropped his knees down and began to try and force at least one of his legs upward in an effort to dislodge him. He was trapped at an odd angle, though and couldn't get his feet and legs in the right place to land a blow with foot or knee. He didn't want to hurt him, just push him back, and if he had to choke him to do it, Ichigo would, since his hands were apparently the only thing free at the moment. He wasn't going to let this happen, whatever _this_ was in his dad's eyes.

Isshin growled then and pulled his mouth back, hand still twined in his hair and slammed his head hard into the wall with an audible cracking sound. Ichigo saw stars and fingers of blackness crawled across his vision; there was a lot of blood running down the back of his neck then, warm, wet and sticky. He blinked dumbly, mouth slack and eyes mismatched already from the second blow that night to the back of his head.

"Masaki, I've missed you," his dad murmured, his face suddenly buried into his neck. Ichigo couldn't think. His head was spinning, and stomach lurching violently. There was a second's breath where he was free. He was yanked by his legs from the protective ball in the corner he'd made for himself then, but didn't really remember when his dad moved, and now he was flat on his back, his dad fumbling at his waistband of the pajama pants he wore.

"No, pop, stop it!" he managed, hands grappling to find purchase on Isshin's thicker hands at his waiste, but he was too weak, it was like a butterfly attacking a snake. Then, to his horror he felt his hands forcing his pajama pants off him, suddenly and forcefully leaving him open and exposed.

"Wait, what, no!" he said a little louder, if he were honest, he'd have admitted to screaming if he could. He could take the beatings, to be sure, but this…what was he doing? He'd stripped him before to belt him, but this…something was different about this, and it had to do with the strange look in his eyes.

"Ichigo?" came a concerned voice outside the door with a slightly panicked edge to it.

"Shut up," Isshin growled, leaning back and landing a hard blow to his face again, making the world spin darkly around him.

He blinked, his body losing the will to fight as he felt him drop to kiss him again, blood and saliva mixing with the taste of sake and smoke. If he had eaten much that day, he was sure to have thrown up right then. He closed his eyes, willing away the fact that it was his own father's tongue ravaging his mouth. He hadn't even had a proper first kiss before, and here it was stolen from him from someone who should have done anything but stolen something as simple as a kiss. But was that what this was? No, he thought, this wasn't a kiss, this was claiming, ravaging…raping. His heart sank as he realized that was exactly what this was…and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. The knocking and yelling outside intensified. He was regretting the fact he had a sturdy door now.

The frantic knocking at the door didn't deter the drunken man, however. Ichigo half hoped that his sisters' presence would make this stop at the ravaging of his mouth, and he realized, the groping of his more private areas. He lost the ability to protest aloud, his breath heavy and panicked. He pressed himself between the boy's legs and opened his own pants, releasing his straining member, and looked down, seeing Masaki, sweet Masaki, with her lovely hair and smooth body, and the welcoming warmth that had been kept from him for six years. This was so long in coming, he thought as he clenched his hands on the thighs of the body under him hard enough to leave bruises in the tanned flesh, then he lifted those legs upward and sighed, pressing forward to claim what was his.

Ichigo prided himself on being able to take pain, after all, how many times had his father come in after a night out and left him crumpled on the floor with broken ribs or fractured bones. He'd had stitches done without anesthetic many times. And he kept quiet, because he was told that anything he said would be punished, any crying or yelling would show his pathetic weakness and also bring on punishment. It was as it had been. And it was shame too, because how would his sisters react to find out how utterly worthless and weak their brother was? However, that thought and more were completely gone when his father forced himself on him, the virgin muscles unused to anything of this sort. He screamed, the sound louder than anything he'd made in the last six years, and it was so cracked and broken, a shattered sound that reflected how he saw himself. He felt the pain shoot up and down his body, to the arches of his feet, his back arching off the bed as it ripped up his spine into his throbbing head, and he felt something give, letting blood flow quickly, thankfully, to ease off the horrible burning and stretching feeling that invaded him, but didn't stop it. Each thrust made the pain blaze anew and reminded him who was doing this, who was taking something that he had not given.

"Stop!" he screamed out, writhing as Isshin pressed down on both shoulders, making it impossible to move, his legs thrown upward, trapped on his shoulders by the arms pressing him down, and he couldn't even begin to get the leverage to get the larger man off the top of him. He knew there were bruises there, and could feel the nails biting painfully into the skin on the back of the shoulders. "Please, no, stop it! It _hurts…_"

His rare words were unheeded as the drunken man leaned down and bit into his shoulder at the juncture of his neck, holding on with a fierceness that rivaled an animal. Ichigo's eyes rolled upward, felling slick blood flow down his front and back from the bite wound. It felt like he was trying to rip the flesh from his body. His father then let go and sat up suddenly, moving out of him, but the relief was short lived as he grabbed him and threw him over onto his stomach, pulling his hips up and slamming back in. Again, a screech left his mouth as this angle went further in, and he felt as though his head was going to explode. The world was wavering in and out. He was crying now, sobbing actually, the shame and humiliation coursing through him to rival the pain. Finally, his drunken father tightened his grip on his already bruised hips and released inside him. He yelped again, the burning sensation flooding him and he gasped and coughed on his own bile surging through his throat as well as blood welling from his bitten lip. He didn't even recall biting it.

There was a pause as Isshin heaved heavy breaths above him, hot and thick against his ears, and then he was shoved off the bed roughly like a used towel. He fell onto his back on the floor with a loud thump, rattling everything on the small desk and knocking the lamp to the floor with a crash. He looked up with teary eyes at his father as he snapped his pants back together, blood staining both his shirt and pants. He looked up again slowly and locked those eyes on him. And Ichigo saw the change. His face, which had been a mask of desire and rage, it changed. Suddenly he wasn't the man who hit him and blamed him, he was a father again. And a mask of horror had spread across his face, the drunkenness he'd been afflicted with burned away, it seemed, along with the lust and anger.

"Oh my god," he whispered, stumbling backward, more unsteady now than he had been when he'd stumbled into the room, what, fifteen minutes ago? Was that all it had been? It took fifteen minutes to shatter someone beyond repair?

"Oh…oh my god…what…Ichigo…I…I'm sorry…oh god…" he blinked rapidly, then grabbed blindly at the door behind him, popping the lock and stumbling out of the room, pushing aside both the girls who were standing outside.

"Dad? What's going on, are you okay? Are you bleeding?" Yuzu said, following him into the bathroom, where he began throwing up in the toilet rather violently. Vaguely, Ichigo heard Yuzu's words of comfort and asking what he needed.

Karin stood at the door and pushed it open, hearing her brother weeping inside. "Ichigo?" she called. She'd never heard her brother cry, especially not openly like this.

"G-go, p-please, K-karin, g-go away…" he pleaded, trying to get up and failing as his legs decided they did not want to function, and then she heard him fall again, whimpering when he did so. "Just g-go…" he gasped.

But Karin was stubborn and went into the room and found her entire worldview shattered. Her brother was sitting on the floor, covered in blood, his head bleeding, and his shoulder had a bloody spot that looked like a bite on it, and he was missing his pajama bottoms, and his legs were bloody… She put a hand over her mouth and ran to the other bathroom, everything she'd eaten coming back with a vengeance. How could her father have done this? She may have been eleven, but she was all too aware of what those things put together meant. And she'd been a doorway away and done nothing! She screamed inside her head, she should have seen, she shouldn't have been so fucking blind!

Ichigo finally got to his feet, legs shaking still, and grabbed the closest clothes he could and pulled on the pajama pants despite the pain he was in. He had to get out, and _they_ were all outside his door somewhere in the house, so he'd go out the window. It couldn't hurt more than the pain he was in at the moment. He shoved the window open and painful climbed out and dropped to the ground below, trying to roll and failing miserably as he twisted his ankle. But it didn't matter, he got to his feet and ran, just ran. The pain shooting up his leg from the ankle he'd twisted grounded him, and kept him conscious.

He had no idea where he was going. He didn't care; he just had to get away, as fast as he could. He felt the blood dripping onto his shoulders still flowing from his head, and he knew the legs of his pajamas were covered by now; he was still bleeding which wasn't likely a good thing. He couldn't stop though, he couldn't let anyone see him like this, there would be _questions_ and how could he tell anyone what happened? If he went to the hospital, would they even believe him? No, they'd call him a liar and tell him he'd just had a rough night with his lover. Not that they would know he was that way, of course, but he'd still never been with someone before.

He had no idea where he was going, no place in mind but he was sobbing by the time he looked around and realized he had no clue where he'd ended up. The adrenaline he was running on was fading, quickly, and his head was really spinning. He stumbled a few feet to vomit bile into the bushes near the road and then backward toward a high fence. Finally he slid down a fence to rest and found himself incapable of standing again. How fitting for his dad to have killed him when he killed his mother. He blinked slowly and then heard a voice, somewhere over to the right of him.

He saw a pair of geta first and looked up to see a man in a set of green robes with a bucket hat perched on his head with green and white stripes. Wild blonde hair stuck out underneath it, and he had a cane of some sort as he kneeled down in front of him. The gray eyes were kind, infinitely so, and for some reason, Ichigo felt at peace with this man here. He felt like he could let go of everything.

"What have we here?" the stranger asked, and Ichigo's mouth opened, he wanted to tell him that he wanted help, that he wanted someone to care, that he wanted more than anything, for someone to love him, but then the world tilted crazily, and went into pitch blackness.

* * *

**Alternative Universe- National Agency Universe**

This universe is created for my use (phoenixreal). If you would like to set a story within this universe, please send me a message. Thanks.

The National Agency (Shinigami)

The National Agency is an organization headed by Head Captain Yamamato. The NA is a governmental entity that functions as national level law enforcement. The following is a listing and description of those in the National Agency. There are 14 Divisions, including the 14th which is the Child Protection Division. Each division specializes and their CP agent is responsible for a given area of the country. Each division has a lieutenant which is a member of the 14th and coordinates placement of at risk/needy children when encountered by their division. They are responsible with dealing with any children and placing them that are put in danger during ops. Captain Kisuke Urahara heads the Child Protection Division. He also heads the group known as the Visored, a group of orphans he raised that now work as CP Agents and response teams called in by the lieutenants of the other divisions. He runs a group home called Kiss Kids where the most severely traumatized of the children taken in by the divisions are sent. His group was recently relocated to Karakura Town where he opened a candy shop for the kids he takes in to help out with as part of their rehabilitation.

Members of the National Agency are referred to as Shinigami (Death Gods) because they basically hold lives in their hands wherever they go. Their main rival is the Espada, headed by Sasuke Aizen, a defector captain from the ranks of the Shinigami. The Espada are the largest criminal organization in the country.

Shinigami Divisions

Division One: Head Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamato. Spec: Politics. Symbol: Chrysanthemum/Truth and Innocence. Color: Purple. CP Squad: Lt.

Division Two: Captain Soi Fon. Spec: Stealth Ops. Symbol: Pasque flower/Seek Nothing. Color: Dark Orange. CP Squad: Lt. Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

Division Three: Captain Gin Ichimaru. Spec: Drug Enforcement. Symbol: Marigold/Despair. Color: Spring Green. CP Squad: Lt. Izuru Kira.

Division Four: Captain Retsu Unohana. Spec: Medical. Symbol: Bellflower/Grieving. Color: Dusty Pink. CP Squad: Lt. Isane Kotetsu.

Division Five: Captain Kaien Shiba. Spec: Arms Enforcement. Symbol: Lily of the Valley/Sacrifice, Danger, Pure Love, Humility, Sweetness. Color: Light Turquoise. CP Squad: Lt. Momo Hinamori.

Division Six: Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Spec: Education/Outreach. Symbol: Camellia/Noble Reason. Color: Cobalt. CP Squad: Vacant

Division Seven: Captain Sajin Komamura. Spec: Animal Division. Symbol: Irish/Courage. Color: Dark Tan. CP Squad: Lt. Tetsuzaemon Iba.

Division Eight: Captain Shunsui Kyōraku. Spec: Human Trafficing. Symbol: Strelitzia/Everything is Obtained. Color: Raspberry Rose. CP Squad: Lt. Nanao Ise.

Division Nine: Captain: Vacant. Spec: Communications. Symbol: White Poppy/Oblivion. Color: Tenne. CP Squad: Lt. Shūhei Hisagi.

Division Ten: Captain Vacant. Spec: Espionage. Symbol: Daffodil/Mystery. Color: Dark Green. CP Squad: Lt. Rangiku Matsumoto

Division Eleven: Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Spec: Combat. Symbol: Yarrow/Fight. Color: Lavender. CP Squad: Lt. Yachiru Kusajishi.

Division Twelve: Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Spec: Research. Symbol: Thistle/Vengeance, Strictness, Independence. Color: Olive. CP Squad: Lt. Nemu Kurotsuchi

Division Thirteen: Captain Jushiro Ukitake. Spec: Reconstruction. Symbol: Snowdrop/Hope. Color: Maroon. CP Squad: Lts. Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki.

Division Fourteen: Captain Kisuke Urahara, Child Protection Division. Lt. Yourichi Shioin. Symbol: Tulip/Perfect Love. Color: White. Members are the Lieutenants of the other divisions plus the ranks of the Visored.

Visored (Child Protection Agents)

The Visored are a group of eight young men and women that were raised by Kisuke Urahara in the home he offers them. They work as child protection agents. All eight were rescued from bad circumstances by Kisuke and the Shinigami.

The Visored are Shinji Hirako, Hiyori Sarugaki, Love Aikawa, Mashiro Kuna, Kensei Muguruma, Rōjūrō (Rose) Ōtoribashi, Hachigen (Hachi) Ushōda, and Lisa Yadōmaru. Shinji and Hiyori share leadership of the group, many times splitting the group for operations all over the country. One member stays with Kisuke at all times in case there is trouble at the home.

Espada

The Espada are run by Sosuke Aizen and his Lieutenant Kaname Tōsen who both defected from the Shinigami. Both are ex-captains. As such, they know intimately the inner workings of the group and have been very difficult to catch and prosecute.

Divisions Among Espada

Underground Fighting: Cero Yammy Llargo, Symbol: Rage. Associates: Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio and Various.

Gun Distribution: Primera Coyote Starrk & Lilynette Gingerbuck, Symbol: Solitude. Associates: Various

Espionage: Segunda Baraggan Louisenbairn, Symbol: Aging (Time). Associates: Ggio Vega, Abirama Redder, Nirgge Parduoc, Choe Neng Poww, Charlotte Chuhlhourne, and Findorr Calius.

Legal Enterprises: Tres Tier Harribel, Symbol: Sacrifice. Associates: Cyan Sung-Sun, Franceska Mila Rose, and Emilou Apacci.

Assassination: Cuatro Ulquiorra Cifer, Symbol Emptiness. Associates: None.

Human Trafficking (prostitution): Quinto Nnoitra Gilga, Symbol: Despair. Associates: Tesra Lindocruz, Loly Aivirrne, Cirucci Sanderwicci, and Menoly Mallia.

Explosives: Sexta Luppi Antenor, Symbol: Destruction. Associates: Di Roy Rinker, Shawlong Koufang, and Ilfort Granz.

Drug Distribution: Séptima Zommari Rureaux, Symbol: Intoxication. Associates: Various.

Research (illegal): Octava Szayelaporro Granz, Symbol: Madness. Associates: Various.

Gambling: Noveno Aaroniero Arruruerie, Symbol: Greed. Associates: Various.


	2. Chapter 2: Equal and Opposite Reactions

**Sins of the Father**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_Equal and Opposite Reactions_

* * *

Grimmjow lounged against the wall; he had legs crossed under the low table and huffed a sigh. Shiro came in and placed the places around the table. He looked up as Kisuke, their "father", came into the room along with their "mother" Yourichi. The two boys may have lived with them for four and five years, but they never had gotten in the habit of the "mom" and "dad" think with Yourichi and Urahara. Not that they encouraged it. These were kids for whome mom and dad had failed them miserably, and they were words equated to pain and hardship. Or perhaps it was because they weren't really the mom and dad type, and that's what the two boys liked about it. Again, there were no similarities between their caregivers and those that had provided life for them. It was much the same as the others that came before them. Before long, all four sat around the low table. Grimmjow, by far was the most uncomfortable with traditional Japanese seating, his long legs doing him great disservice. He didn't mind too much though.

"How was your first day, boys?" asked Yourichi, taking a portion of the vegetables before passing it to Grimmjow.

"Well, we met a group of friends, I think," he answered. "But one worries me."

Kisuke took the bow and arched a blonde brow at his oldest foster son. "Oh?"

Shiro nodded as he took the bowl next. "Yeah, acts a lot like I did. Beat down."

Kisuke nodded, trusting Shiro's instincts on the subject. He'd proven to be the one to identify Jinta as being as damaged as he himself had been. Shiro was all wit and snark most the time, but he had empathy to spare when it came to kids. He'd be an amazing Visored one day if he chose. "How do you mean, exactly?"

"Well, he doesn't talk. Like, at all, unless he has to do so. He spoke twice all day, and both times was because the teacher called on 'im, and his best friend does most of his talking the rest of the time," Grimmjow said, taking the rice now and taking on a tone of voice that became unique to those that had lived the lives they had.

"You think his folks are hurting him?" Yourichi asked, her voice carrying that same tone, half knowing and half worry.

Yourichi herself had been abused as a child. Her father had left at an early age, leaving her alone with a mother seeking companionship wherever she could find it. The men and women that came and went from her mother's life were rarely kind to the child that shared their space. No, she'd suffered every kind of abuse imaginable before she escaped to the streets at thirteen. Then and there, she swore no one would touch her again unless she wanted it. She picked up with local gangs in Tokyo and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. However, when she ran onto a certain bucket hat wearing blonde, she changed gears, and followed him to give up her less than legal life to become his partner among the Shinigami.

"Are the kids and Tessai out for tonight?" Shiro asked suddenly, noticing the absence of the younger ones, Ururu and Jinta, as well as their other resident Tessai. It wasn't a diversion, per say, he just wanted to know how open to be. It wasn't that they hid things, but there were certain aspects of discussion Kisuke preferred to wait until they were older to have.

"Yeah, Tessai took them to a small carnival that set up by the river," Kisuke said with a nod. "Now, about this friend you are worried about?"

"Well, we asked his best friend, Renji, and he said he wasn't sure. He gets in fights a lot, he has orange hair, so we understand that, but Renji said that it didn't account for all his bruises, if you asked him. His friends are all concerned, obviously, but none know what to do. They said he'd quit talking much after his mom died six years ago, but he's well trained in martial arts, so I don't see even his own father able to do much without him fighting back…" Grimmjow said with a sigh.

Kisuke shook his head. "Doesn't matter, Grimm. You forget too easily sometimes, abuse has nothing to do with weakness on the part of the abused. If he's been beaten down for a long time, he thinks he deserves it. You boys were lucky; I got to you before it was ingrained into your entire being. If he is a victim of long term abuse, things become more difficult than they were with you. You were only ten and eleven when we pulled you out of the rain. And considering his situation, a mother murdered in front of him, there is likely guilt. Because of that he wouldn't fight his own father. Like you, Shiro, Ururu and Jinta, all my Visored, abused people are some of the strongest in the world. Sometimes, it has to be proven to you and your stubborn heads."

Shiro grinned. "Was I that bad?"

"You, Shiro, were the worst of the bunch," Yourichi said. "You spent an entire month locked in your room with us slipping food in through the cracks because you were so convinced you were hideous and deserved to be locked away. I've never seen a more malnourished child in my life when we got you out of that horrible place. I'm just glad we got you to accept yourself and stop hiding. Just because you look different, doesn't make you anything less."

Shiro grinned. "Yeah, but old habits die hard. I still have days I have to work at it, you know that boss. Those days when I can't ignore the curious stares and I imagine them saying things about me that are less than flattering. At least I've had five years with you two to get through it, and four with the blue brute. I'm glad Ururu and Jinta have each other like we did. It was tough when I was the only brat around here unless the Visored kids came back to visit."

Kisuke nodded. "Well, I couldn't leave them in that situation any more than you or the others. I'm just glad I've got the connections to be able to get custody as easily as I do. Old Man Yamamoto is a softy though. He knows I take care of my kids. Otherwise I wouldn't be 'captain' of his little division. Though I don't claim the title often. I mean, look at the Visored. They're doing much better these days, and they're his best child ops people ever."

"Could you call in to him, and you know, see if he knows the history on these Kurosakis?" Grimmjow asked. "Maybe it would help figure out if there's something going on."

Kisuke nodded. "That might be a good idea. I'll do that after dinner and see what he has for me. You know how us Shinigami are, always got files on top of files for everyone in the blasted country…"

Dinner wound down and they collapsed to the living room so the boys could do their homework. They made a show of complaining, especially since they already had homework on the first day of class at their new school. Kisuke chided them and reminded them they had to be caught up to where the other students were. It wasn't like he _planned _on redistricting to happen, and Karakura put them in a much better position anyway, the town was smaller and it was easier to keep an eye on his charges. Everyone looked up as Tessai came home around eight with the younger ones, and sent them straight off to bed. There were muttered arguments from both but it was obvious they were both tired out from their day at the fair. He himself looked haggard and excused himself, exhausted. A knock at the door got Shiro's attention.

A moment later, Kisuke came in with Shinji, a tall boy with cropped blond hair and a wide smile. "Hey guys," he said, waving at Grimmjow and Shiro as he flopped into the futon, one long leg over the arm. "Brought you guys stuff from the Old Man."

Kisuke sat down, a frown creasing his brow. "Well, this isn't as helpful as I'd like. Your friend is named Ichigo Kurosaki, son of Masaki and Isshin Kurosaki. His mother was the sister to Ryuken Ishida. I actually know both Isshin and Ryuken. They're both doctors I've dealt with on cases. Usually, one of the lieutenants of the other divisions deals with the doctors directly, but I've had an occasion to intervene for assessment purposes to see if they are in need of my home, or if they are suited to one of the outher homes. Hum, his mother Masaki was killed when she was walking Ichigo home from karate one evening. The mugger demanded money, Ichigo was nine at the time, and was crying. The mugger shot him in the leg and then went to shoot him again to 'shut him up' and Masaki dodged in front of the bullet, killing her instantly. The mugger left, assuming them both dead because she collapsed on top of him and he went quiet, likely from the shock. Witness statements confirmed the child's statement. A nearby witness had called it in, but the police were too late and he was gone already.

"Currently, Ichigo is fifteen, and his sisters are both eleven. His father runs a clinic and takes weekly rounds at Karakura General. Today, for example, he is on the trauma ward until midnight. He runs a twelve hour shift three days a week, and the clinic is on call the rest of the time. It does say that he is often seen at local bars after shifts at the hospital, and sometimes other evenings when he is not at the hospital. Basically, the man is an alcoholic after his wife died, and it is of the worst kept secrets in town. Everyone knows about it, but no one talks about it because he has been such a philanthropist in Karakura, donating time and money to local charities, schools, etc. Ichigo, however, has never been admitted to the emergency…"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Kisuke, really? You can't go on that. He lives next door to a fully stocked clinic. If his dad were beating him every day, he'd never need to go to the emergency. What about the girls?"

"Says here both have visited the emergency over the last six years for what appear to be normal, childhood issues, high fever, broken leg on Karin during soccer…wait. That in itself is odd. Ichigo has _never_ gone to emergency from nine until fifteen? His sisters have," Kisuke said, looking up with pursed lips. Shinji rolled his eyes as if to say obviously, I just said that Kisuke. He shuffled a few papers. "School records show two extended absences for illness, and some records of broken bones that kept him from gym classes and his martial arts classes, but there are no matching hospital or doctor's records for either…just notes from his father."

Grimmjow arched a brow. "Renji says they get jumped by older boys a lot because of their hair color, and Ichigo is top of the class; I find it strange that not once he suffered enough to be taken for treatment. I know his dad's a doctor and all but don't most doctors avoid treating their own kids?"

Tessai stood in the doorway, a massive frame blocking sight from the opposite side. "We do. Even pediatricians like I used to be. It is common practice to avoid treating family because it is a conflict of interest. Sorry, I heard mention of doctors so I thought you might have found another one."

Kisuke smiled. "You might be right. I swear, what did I do to end up with a house full of other people's kids…" he bemoaned.

Yourichi sat on the arm of his chair. "You became a good man, that's what," she said, kissing him gently on the cheek. "You saved me first, and then the rest of the Visored kids. I still can't believe we had eight kids of different ages running around at the same time."

"We've already got four now," Kisuke said, rubbing her leg fondly.

"Hey, we weren't that bad!" Shinji announced, squinting at his faster father.

Kisuke snorted. "You and Hiyori never stopped fighting! And it was all I could do to keep Rose and Mashiro from tempting Kensai into blowing the house up. And then Love and his ever present string of girlfriends, and Lisa and her pornographic manga. You know how many of those things I found when I cleared out the old house before the move? I could have supplied a yaoi library just on what she had stocked in the attic and the basement! The only one that never got in trouble was Hachi!"

By this point, Shinji had a fake shocked look and both Grimmjow and Shiro were giggling manically and trying to still look manly. It was failing. Yourichi sighed deeply. "What am I going to do with you lot…"

Shinji grinned and waved. "Gotta get back. Old Man is waitin' on me. Let us know if ya need anything, or if this'un is one ya wanna go and save. Dunno what yer in is gonna be, Kisuke, because unless you got something…this is all…"

Kisuke sighed. "Circumstantial, even Old Man Yama couldn't help yet. Believe me, I know. It was the same with Ururu and Jinta until the best. We were almost too late. We have to wait this out or search deeper. Waiting. Until I get him say it, or there's more than circumstantial evidence his father's hurting him, I can't do anything."

Grimmjow was silent a long time. "Kisuke," he said finally, leaning against Shiro and being leaned on by Shiro in return. "Why'd you start doing this? I mean, there's twelve of us so far that you've brought in out of the rain as you like to put it."

Kisuke sat back and looked at Yourichi. "It started with her. I was working under Old Man Yama, and I ran into this stick thin girl who was running from a group of thugs. She nearly took my head off before I got her in the back of the restaurant we were fronting. Turned out she was working as a runner for one of the gangs we were trying to bring down. Took her in, and then flipped her pretty purple head to the right side of the law, and then we became partners. Couple years later, we raided an apartment complex and found a locked attic. Busted in and found a tiny little boy named Hachi with soft pink hair. He was so skinny you could count his ribs and vertebrae. Then and there I was done chasing crooks, and found myself and Yourichi a big house with six bedrooms. Worked it out with the Old Man that the Agency needed to do something about the lost ones, the kids. Decided that I was gonna be it. There had been another raid by another group that had found a skinny little girl named Lisa and a little boy named Shinji being used as drug mules. Thus we had three moved in within two weeks of buying the house.

"Hachi was eight when we took him in, Lisa and Shinji were both about five. And then we went out on what became known as a Kiss Calls," he said with a fond grin. "Thanks to Yourichi here. Anyway, it became code for kids that were abused, neglected, or otherwise in need of a healthy home. Slowly, the 14th was made up, the Old Man sending the division lieutenants to me. It was shortly after that the second home was opened, but I was the go to for the hardest cases. The Kiss Calls determined if they were mine, or would be sent to the other house. Love, Rose, and Kensai were all found together, no idea who their parents were, they were all homeless and on the streets when they were brought in a few years later at eleven. All three were being used as runners for local gangs, all severely abused by their handlers. Hiyori is the youngest of the bunch, we pulled her out of a child prostitution ring along with Mashiro at ten and thirteen. Then, they grew up and were starting to leave to be trained with the Old Man.

"And I didn't get Kiss Calls anymore, until one morning, oh about five years ago; I got a call for a drugs raid gone bad. All killed in the raid, but they found a locked basement with a little albino boy who wouldn't come out for anyone," he said, smiling at Shiro. "Oh I thought I was going to faint when I picked you up, Shiro, all bones and bruises but the most amazing glittering eyes. You were so scared of everyone and didn't want anyone to see you. It was lonely for a while, just you and us, then amazingly another Kiss Call. This time for a little boy with blue hair of all things, brought in out of a hellish home after his mother and brother were killed by his dad in a drunken rage before he killed himself, leaving one very frightened boy. And then, last year, the drug bust that left Jinta and Ururu orphans was the last Kiss Call I've gotten. Not that I'd turn any down. I love what I do. And Old Man Yama takes care of everything we need for all my Kiss Kids, as they call them at the office," he said with an eye roll. "I think there are a total of thirteen other homes now, one for each division, to try and keep the kids in the district. Only the special ones come to me. And, of course, the best."

Grimmjow and Shiro's hands had managed to entangle with each other, tan flesh on white, and Kisuke winked at Yourichi without them noticing. She arched a brow and shook he head. The two boys had grown awfully close in the years they'd been there. True, they were brothers in a way, but in the important ways, the two couldn't be farther from being related to each other. Already, the Visored group of kids had dealt with several romances within, the most explosive being when Hiyori and Shinji tried dating for a couple months. The repair bill on the house was quite a lot by the time those two were done with their fighting, most memorable was the large front window when Hiyori flung Shinji through it.

"So, what do we do anyway, Kisuke?" Grimmjow asked, finally, his blue eyes rising to meet the gray ones.

"I'll put in some people. See if one of the Visored kids are able to take a watch around his place and see what they can find out.

_-oooooo-Karakura Secondary Soccer Field – 2:45 am-oooooo-_

A short, white haired boy sat by the goalposts of the soccer field with his phone in hand. He was nodding off, but he couldn't go home. His mom was there with her latest…client. And he really had nowhere else to go. If it were daylight, he'd head to the arcade or the shopping center, maybe nick a few things from the open market stalls and hope he didn't get caught. He was starving already and just thinking about food made his stomach rumble. He sighed, thunking his head against the pole. It was almost three in the morning, he thought as he glanced at his phone. Good thing there was hardly ever anyone around this time of night to question why a thirteen year old kid was sitting outside at this time of night. Hell, most the vagrants had already gone to sleep, he thought to himself wryly.

"Hey, kid," came a voice. Oh, crap, the though, looking over to see a short girl with a track suit and short blonde pigtails.

"Hey yourself," he said, flicking through his phone to see if Karin needed anything.

"Any reason why you're out here?" she asked, coming to sit by him. She was older, he could tell that, but how much older, he wasn't sure.

He sighed. "Can't go home yet until I get the 'all clear'. So fucking annoying."

"All clear?" she asked.

He looked at her. "What's your name?"

"Hiyori, wht about you, kid?"

He smiled, "Toshiro. If I tell ya something will you promise not to tell the cops or anything?"

She arched a brow but nodded. "She's got some john back at our place giving him a fucking or blow job or some shit like that. Can't go home until she's done with him. Must be a good one, usually an hour and she's done, but she's had him back there for four hours so far. At fifty an hour, she'll have two hundred by now in the bag."

"So, your mom is a prostitute, and takes her clients to your house?" she asked, a little surprised.

Toshiro sighed. "Yeah, but hey, what can I do? Not like I can get a job at thirteen, right? And can't depend on my girlfriend, she's only almost twelve."

Hiyori nodded and they sat in silence for a short while. It was companionable, and he wondered why she was sitting with him. It was nice, to not be alone out in the field, and the truth was, he did have some doubts about his own safety at this time of night.

His phone beeped then and he looked down. He frowned. "Oh…wow…um…I…" he was obviously distressed, standing up quickly and stumbling backward.

"Whoa, there, what's the matter?" Hiyori asked, standing slower and watching him.

He looked at her. "You wouldn't happen to have a car, would you?"

She shook her head. "No, but I can get one."

"My girlfriend, she needs me to come get her and her sister. They've run away from home, she said, and need to be picked up, they're waiting in the alley behind a convenience store near their house," he said, blinking. "She didn't say what happened, just said they couldn't stay there."

"Hold up, hon," Hiyori said, taking out her phone. "Rose, need a pickup, soccer field, think I've got three Kiss kids, but we gotta go get the other two, sounds like they're in trouble."

She clasped it closed and smiled. "Rose and Love are on the way."

"Kiss kids? Who are Rose and Love? Sounds like Valentines exploded in your vocabulary," Toshiro asked, standing up as within five minutes a blue van pulled up at the road near the field.

She smiled. "Yeah, long story, first let's go get your girlfriend and her sister, yeah? You know the way?"

Toshiro nodded and followed her to the van, crawling into the front passenger by a guy with really, really long blond hair and decidedly feminine clothes.

"Toshiro, the nut in the front is Rose, he's a pansy boy, so don't mind him, and this here with the starfish hair style," She said, indicating the man with the strange afro type hairstyle. "This is Love. Now this is Toshiro, guys. He's going to take you where his girlfriend and her sister are waiting. Some kind of trouble, they ran away from home."

"Got it, sweetheart," Love said, smiling at the white haired boy and winking.

Before long they pulled to a stop at the head of an alley and Toshiro jumped out before the van had really stopped with Hiyori following close behind and called out. "Karin? Are you here?"

From the alley, two girls came running, the dark haired one latching onto Toshiro's neck, the brown haired one fidgeting beside her. "Come on, I don't know where we're going, but we'll get you away," Toshiro said, pulling them into the back of the van. Love climbed up into the front and they headed out.

"Who are these people, Toshiro?" the dark haired girl asked.

"Karin," he said pointing to the dark haired girl. "This is Yuza, Karin's twin," he said to Hiyori. "This is Hiyori, Love, and Rose," he said pointing to each of them. "I don't really know who they are. Hiyori found me where I waiting out Mom's latest john, then you seemed to need me, or at least someone, what happened? I thought you guys and your dad got along great?"

Yuzu suddenly burst into tears and Karin looked pale. "Well, I guess there was something about him we didn't know. We have to find my brother, now. I think he's hurt. No, I don't think, I know. But he ran before I could get back to him, I think he was scared."

"What do you mean? Did he get in a fight with your dad?" Toshiro asked, trying to picture Karin and Yuzu's extremely quiet and shy brother doing anything like that. He barely talked, he couldn't imagine him arguing with anyone.

"Dad drinks, I told you that, you know, and I thought that was it," Karin said. "But I've been so goddamned fucking blind, I should put my own eyes out! How could I not see what he was doing to him. My own brother, and I didn't see it!" Karin said, pounding a fist into her leg.

Hiyori looked up at the front, where Rose said, "We're here," suddenly.

"Let's talk inside, okay, I promise, you're safe here," Hiyori said, and unloaded the three kids and were followed by Love and Rose. Hiyori knocked on the door. A few minutes passed and Kisuke answered, bleary eyed, dressed in a plain white dressing gown but still with the bloody hat.

"I got a Kiss call, boss," she said seriously. The bleary eyed man perked up immediately. "Come in, all of you, I'll wake Tessai and Yourichi. The rest of the kids are asleep, at least they're supposed to be."

Hiyori led the kids into the tea room and sat them down, followed by Love and Rose. Before long, the tall imposing Tessai came in followed by a sleepy looking Yourichi, her purple locks spread all around her in a messy fashion.

Kisuke had changed, and wore his typical green robes now. He sat down and looked around. "Hiyori?"

"I found this one, Toshiro, up at the soccer field. His mom is a hooker. He was waiting on her to be done for the night. Then Karin here, Toshiro's girlfriend," she pointed to the dark haired girl. "She texted him saying they needed someone to pick them up. I got ahold of Love and Rose, and we went and got her and her twin sister, Yuzu," she said pointing to the brown haired girl who was still crying and gripping Karin's arm tightly. Toshiro had interlaced his fingers in Karin's and was looking at her with a worried expression.

Kisuke nodded. "First, you have no reason to trust me. But you should. My name is Kisuke Urahara, and I am a foster for a lot of kids. Actually, these three brats used to be mine, but they outgrew me. I have four fosters in my care now, two fifteen year old boys and a pair of twelve year olds, a girl and a boy. Yourichi is my partner, and Tessai here is a pediatrician. I am not personally with law enforcement, but I used to be. Okay, technically I'm still part of law enforcement, but I don't chase crooks anymore, I stay here and take care of my kids. But because of that, I often work with them, and because my name is Kisuke, they named the kids I take in Kiss kids. Now, why don't you tell me what's going on?"

Karin nodded. "Look I don't care who the fuck you are, you could be the cops, I really don't give a shit right now if you turn my father in and he rots in jail or gets shot in the head. I just need someone to find my brother."

Yourichi and Kisuke exchanged looks. Obviously, this child wasn't the victim. "So your brother is in trouble?" she asked gently.

Karin nodded. "Our pop, he drinks, a lot, since our mom died. And he works at the hospital a few days a week, and if he does, he stops at the bar, and I thought it was weird, because when he's home, my brother doesn't come down, and rarely eats, and he's always getting into fights, so you know, I didn't think anything about him getting bruises and shit, but I was fucking blind and I could just die right now because I should have seen it! Maybe I could have stopped this…"

Kisuke arched a brow and turned to Yourichi and tapped the manila folder on the table he'd acquired earlier that night. "Karin, what's your brother's name?" he asked.

She blinked and looked up. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Kisuke ground his teeth together and looked at Love and Rose. "Get out there, find him, search around the home address in here, it has a picture of the boy. Fifteen."

Karin and Yuza exchanged glances. "What?"

"I told you I work with kids who need placement. Someone brought your brother to my attention this evening as a possible abused child. I was in process of investigating but all the evidence was thus far circumstantial and I couldn't move on it until now," he said softly and turned back to them. "Tell me what happened to your brother tonight that made you realize what was going on."

"We were asleep, Yuzu and I share a room, and we heard a couple really loud bangs, so we got up because pop sometimes comes home drunk and falls down and we've had to put him to bed before. But when we got out in the hall it was empty, then I heard him talking through the door to Ichi's room. And I couldn't believe the things he was saying to him. I…I knew that Ichigo blamed himself for Mom's death, but I…I never knew pop blamed him. Not like that. Then I heard him hit him and I tried to open the door but it was locked. Then I heard Ichigo, telling him to stop whatever he was doing, and he doesn't talk, not really, but then he screamed…like really screamed so I was battering the door and couldn't get it open, and I heard him cry out a couple more times, begging pop to stop, to just stop…and then it got quiet." Karin's eyes were wide, and obviously she was fighting tears but she refused to let them fall.

"Yuzu and I just stood there until we heard pop, he was saying he was sorry, and the door slammed open and pop ran past us to the bathroom, and he was throwing up and Yuzu went after him because he had blood on his shirt, and we thought maybe Ichi and him did get in a fight, but then I called him, and he told me to leave him alone, to go away, and then I walked in, and…" she paused, blinking. "There was blood everywhere, all over him, all over the bed, and he…pop…how can I even call him that? The fucking bastard _raped_ my brother. He fucking raped my only brother!" she said, her eyes wide, and her breath near hyperventilating. "I went and threw up, I couldn't not, and when I got back, he'd jumped out the window, second story too, but I could tell, because there was blood where he'd pushed it up and went through it. I don't know how bad he was hurt, but it wasn't just a scrape."

Yuzu wiped tears away. "I was with our dad. He threw up and threw up and then told me to leave, just leave the house, to get away from him. So I ran out into Ichi-nii's room and…I nearly fainted. I live next to a clinic, but that was a lot of blood, all over the sheets and on the floor… Karin grabbed me and we went to our room and grabbed our phones and bolted out of the house. I was so scared, and didn't know what happened, until she told me what dad…what he did to Ichi-nii… Why would he do something like that?" she asked, pleading.

"I don't know, I don't know," Kisuke said softly. "Tessai, go prep a room. Sounds like he's going to need stitches at least. You still have the kits? We'll need a full kit to prove what's happened. If there's enough evidence, take two full kits, one for the police, one for Mayuri. I hate this part of the job," he said, standing. "I'm taking the other van, Hiyori, you with me? Call out Shinji and Kensai, I want them looking too. If he's lost too much blood, he could have passed out anywhere. I'll call Old Man Yama on the way. Yourichi, will you stay with the kids here?"

Yourichi nodded. "Of course, good luck Kisuke."

He headed out and got into the van and started looking. It took him what seemed like forever, but his lights flashed on someone slumped against a fence a little ways down from the shoten. He pulled over and got out, moving up with his cane just in time to see the bright orange hair stained with blood and the brown eyes look at him for a moment before he passed completely out.

"Radio it, Hiyori, I got him!" he called, and moved forward and gathered the boy up.

He was entirely too thin for his age and size. He hated it when he was right. After all these years working with kids, he had a sixth sense, and looking at the file had triggered an intenses need to help the boy. He'd had every intention of going to the school and interviewing him the next day in order to see if he could find anything out. It seemed it was too late for the early intervention stage, and now he had to help him however he could. He laid him across the seats in the back, strapping him in, and hopped into the van.

"We doing hospital or back to the shoten?" Hiyori asked, hopping into the driver's seat again.

Kisuke shook his head. "Shoten is closer, and Tessai has all the same equipment. If he needs blood we'll transfer him to our room at the hospital after we stabilize him. Too risky to go straight there at this point, especially with his father being a doctor."

Less than five minutes later, they were pulling in as the other two teams did as well. Kisuke looked at Love and Rose. "Tell Tessai, we're here, I'm bringing him in."

Kisuke brushed the hair out of his face and wiped a smudge of blood from his cheek. "Poor boy," he said softly as he gathered his too light frame up again, moving as quickly as he could, trying to ignore the blood left staining the seats of the van.

He went in and past the tea room where his sisters were standing, being held back by Yourichi and he heard her remind them they needed to let him be looked at first. He moved into the room, latching the door and laying the boy on the medical grade table he'd had installed specifically for Tessai. Tessai scanned him with a clinical eye.

He checked his eyes with the pen light and sighed. "Moderate concussion. Looks like most of this is blood from the head wound, the bleeding's stopped, we can stitch that later. This bite wound likely bled a lot as well. Pull over the chest straps, I'll try to finish the rape kit and exam before he wakes up, he may have some tearing with the amount of blood he's lost here; go ahead and start a saline drip and give him some valium, just in case."

Kisuke hooked up a saline drip to the pole at the head of the bed and quickly started an IV with practiced ease. He'd done this far too many times for someone who wasn't a medical doctor. He turned and rummaged through the vials and added a dose of valium into the IV line. He pulled around the tray with the tools for the exam and evidence collection for Tessai, including two of the sealed boxes. He carefully unsealed them and laid out all the collection instruments. Meanwhile, Tessai had pulled the boy's legs into the stirrups after he'd tossed away the bloodied pajama pants he wore. He heard Tessai curse. Never good, the man didn't normally curse. He went about the steps in the box quickly while Kisuke filled in the written information. Tessai carefully filled out the notes he needed to finish and handed it back to his companion in the room. They sealed up both boxes once Tessai had sealed all the swabs and smears, and Kisuke slipped in all the paperwork.

"Plenty evidence there. Kid's a mess. I've got some stitching…tearing indicates a violent attack, no preamble. Multiple angles, he has tearing in two separate places internally as well as the outer muscle. I recommend keeping him on IV pain meds for at least two days," he said, the equipment clicking as he put everything used on the tray. Kisuke couldn't take his eyes off the bloodied tools.

"I'll send this over with the case file to the Old Man," he said softly. "I don't think there's a lack of evidence now. Copy over the video of your exam and I'll send it with Shinji. I'll keep the second and hand it over when the police get here."

Kisuke always felt drained after the sexual assault victims. Hiyori and Lisa had both taken months to get used to him and Tessai after they were rescued from the prostitution ring. He sighed and headed down the hall to knock on the door to the boys' room. He had to knock a second time.

"Whas up, boss?" came Shiro's sleepy voice as the door slid open.

"I need a set of your clothes, Shiro, loose fitting pants, t-shirt, anything like that," he said as Grimmjow got up and came forward. Grimmjow's eyes went to the kits Kisuke was still holding.

"No," he said simply.

Kisuke swallowed and glanced down, realizing what he was holding. Grimmjow and Shiro both knew what it was. They'd seen them before, never used ones, but they were stocked in the exam room. Shiro stood there with a set of his clothes. "I'm afraid so. He's in the exam room, Tessai's stitching his head now. You can take the clothes in if you want. His sisters are in the tea room with Yourichi. They're fine, but they were there when it happened."

Grimmjow and Shiro exchanged looks and then went to the exam room, knocking gently. Tessai's voice came to tell them to come in. They slid the door open and walked in and stared.

"Holy fuck," Shiro exclaimed, his eyes going from his unconscious form to the pile of completely blood soaked clothes by the floor. Tessai had stripped him completely and laid a sheet over him while he worked on stitching his head.

Grimmjow moved forward, touching his arm where it lay over the sheet. Tessai had an oxygen monitor taped to his finger and heart monitor hooked up beeping steadily. The IV was about half through a bag of saline by now. A small bag was paired with it, which Grimmjow knew would be antibiotics.

"How bad?" Grimmjow asked.

Tessai sat up, tying off the last stitch in his scalp. "Moderate concussion, from the fact his scalp is irritated on the crown, I'd say he had his head slammed into a wall. Seven stitches for that. Shoulder, nasty bite, took five stitches there. And then, well, the other took a total of fifteen stitches all together. Three separate tears, two internal. That was the worst, though the worst bleeding was from this head wound. Other than that, he's got some severe bruising on his ribs, but at least a day or two old. Obviously, the black eye, but that's also older. The bruising to the jaw is recent, though. He also bit through part of his lip, but it didn't need any stitches, wouldn't do any good there."

Grimmjow swallowed. "We should have done something, I mean, talked to him, anything," he started.

Tessai shook his head. "Grimm, don't do this to yourself. His sister is in the next room doing the same thing and she's only eleven. Why don't you go in there and introduce yourselves. They all three might be staying, I'm not sure."

"Three?" Shiro asked, handing him the clothes.

Tessai nodded. "Ichigo has a pair of twin sisters, and the boy is Karin's boyfriend. He's thirteen. He's also a candidate for around here on his own right."

The two boys nodded and went into the tea room, getting the attention of all present. Shinji was still there, who grinned at them. He was sprawled across the floor trying to look comfortable with his long limbs. "Look what the cat dragged in! What's up bluebell and snowman?"

"Ugh, it's four am, this is not a time for healthy kids to be getting up," Shiro said, slumping to the floor and yawning dramatically.

Yourichi smiled and ruffled his hair. "Boys, this is Toshiro, Karin, and Yuzu. The girls are Ichigo's sisters. This is Shiro, and the blue haired brat is Grimmjow. They live here," she said.

"Kids? How old are you?" asked Toshiro, frowning, his eyes gravitating to the other white haired boy at the table.

"Fifteen, we're actually in Ichigo's class," Grimmjow said, taking a cup of tea from Yourichi. "Well, I'm almost sixteen I guess, got a little behind in school due to my circumstances."

There was a knock at the door then. Kisuke was waiting at the front of the shop and escorted a couple uniformed officers back. "Karin, Yuzu, they're going to take your statements, then mine and Tessai's. You can stay in here, or you can go more private."

Karin snorted. "I'm staying put, everyone who wants can listen because I want nothing to do with the fucking bastard anymore after what he did tonight. He could come crawling back on his knees and I'd suggest cutting his fucking balls off for what he did tonight."

Grimmjow arched a blue brow and glanced at Shiro. She was a spitfire. So they listened as she recounted her story for the officer, who both jotted notes and recorded it. They then took Kisuke's statement and those that were there when they got Karin and Yuzu, and then what happened when they picked him up. Kisuke handed him the CD of the tape from the exam room, and took him down to talk to Tessai. The officer pulled out a camera as she went. A few minutes later, the two officers emerged and thanked Kisuke and left with their camera, one of the rape kits, and the CD from the cameras. Kisuke sent duplicates of all of it via Shinji back to the Old Man himself. Just in case.

After it was done, it was almost six in the morning, and they were all exhausted. Kisuke sighed. "School numbers?" he said, and Yourichi handed them over with a smile.

He punched in the first and got to the headmaster. "My name is Captain Kisuke Urahara, I am head of Kiss Kids Home. I've got one of your students that was brought in last night and will be staying here indefinitely. He will be out due to injuries at least three days. Yes, please confirm with Yamamoto of the National Agency, I am head of division fourteen, child protection. Yes, that is correct. Yes, I already house two students in the same class. They will also miss school today. Because there have been police at our house all night and they've been up for most of it. If you have any issues, Sergeant Leesan was point on evidence collection from the shoten. Yes, thank you. I have to call on his sisters as well. Oh, yes, student's name is Ichigo Kurosaki. Yes, I'm sure. Yes, that means he was removed from the home with my discretion. I don't care that his father is an upstanding doctor in this community. It doesn't change the fact that he has been removed and placed in my care. No, there is no mistake. Sir, I'm afraid I don't make mistakes when it comes to fifteen year old boys being raped and beaten by their fathers. Yes. You'll get the report on the incident soon enough. Thank you."

He shook his head. "Officials."

A similar call followed for Toshiro, Karin and Yuzu. Kisuke sighed. It would be nice if these things happened at a decent hour instead of three AM. He looked to Yourichi. "Would you set them up upstairs with you? I'll fix the other room down here up for Ichigo and Toshiro can go with Jinta and Ururu for the time being. We may do some rearranging. I'm sure Ururu would rather bunk with the girls than Jinta, and Jinta would rather bunk with Toshiro. That way Ichigo can have his own room. I have a feeling he'll need it."

After everyone was sent to their temporary rooms Kisuke sat at the kitchen table with a cup of very strong tea as Yourchi sat down.

"You were saying something about having eight kids at once?"

Yourichi laughed heartily then, and eventually Kisuke joined her. It seemed that eight was his magic number after all.


	3. Chapter 3: Letting go of Pain

**Sins of the Father**

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_A/N: Okay thanks to those reviewing. Just wanted to let you know, when I get to chapter five, I pause and edit. So all these annoying mistakes will go away, and the existing chapters will likely get longer. I'll let you know when I get it done. Until then, enjoy!_

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**Chapter Three**

_Letting Go of Pain_

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Consciousness was fleeting, at best, and he honestly couldn't remember feeling this strange before. He blinked wearily and found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He didn't want to move though, his face hurt, but not as bad as it should. It was like the pain throughout his body was wrapped up in cotton. He fought he urge to go back to sleep and looked around. He had an oxygen thing in his nose, an IV, and one of those things on his finger. He was lying on some sort of bed, and as he craned his neck, behind him was a pole with an IV bag set on it. Okay…but this was a house, not the hospital. The walls were cream and the bed was a real bed, not one of those horrid hospital beds. So the question was, where was he and how did he get here?

He was about to nod off again when there was the sound of the door sliding open and his eyes came to rest on the man he'd seen the night before. Oh, that explained it. The guy with the hat and clogs from the night before. He didn't know his name, so he settled on calling him Getabishi. That sounded like a good name for him. Strange, no one ever wore geta on a regular basis and the guy walked around in them like that was all he ever wore. Perhaps it was. Was he in this guy's house? And why was he so sleepy? His mind felt like it was wrapped up in a comfortable layer of fluff. Wait didn't he just think that a minute ago? No, now his thoughts were jumbling together. Sounds were muffled and his throat felt like it was devoid of all moisture.

"You're awake, good," he said with a smile, and pulled a chair over to sit beside him. Ichigo nodded slowly. The world was still skipping in random intervals. He honestly didn't remember him moving toward the bed, he was just there. He had to be on some sort of narcotic. "Do you remember what happened?"

Ichigo nodded and sighed deeply. Of course he did, it was burned into his memory forever, every single sensation, image and emotion there to be recalled at a moment's notice. The man, unlike so many others didn't ask him to speak, didn't even comment on the fact he chose not to speak, just continued on as though he had said out loud what he was thinking. This fascinating him. Most people were not so patient with his desire not to speak out loud.

"Now, I need to tell you a few things. My name, first of all is Kisuke Urahara. I'm a foster care giver, have been for about fifteen years now. Yesterday, I had two very worried boys come home to tell me about an orange headed boy they met at school in which they recognized quite vividly the signs of abuse," he said, reaching out and touching his hand gently. Ichigo's brow furrowed but he made no move to move away from him. For some strange reason, he was comfortable with this man. Was it because he had rescued him? Perhaps.

"Yes, I believe you met them, Grimmjow and Shiro, they're my boys." Ichigo nodded, his brow loosening to indicate that he understood now. They had paid closer attention to him than he had liked, though he thought perhaps it was just curiosity, but now he realized they were looking for things that marked him as one who fit their definition of "abuse". Whatever that was. His father had constantly told him that he was punished, not abused. Abuse was different he said. Abuse happened when a child didn't deserve what happened, and Ichigo was little better than a murderer, therefore he deserved everything that could be meted out as punishment. His thoughts returned to Getabishi. He knew his name now, but for all the world, he would always be Getabishi to Ichigo. He had paused while Ichigo thought, another unusual trait of this strange man.

"One of my girls, well, she's outgrown me now, found a young boy last night named Toshiro, of course, you know him. He got a panicked text from your sister Karin, and Hiyori called up another couple of the boys and they went and picked up your sisters and Toshiro. No, don't worry, they're all fine. Upset, but fine. It was incredibly hard to keep those two girls away from their brother last night, but we managed to get them in a bed instead of on the floor in here like they wanted. When we found out what happened, we set out to find you, and I came on you not too far from here," he said. Ichigo nodded again. He remembered just running, nowhere in particular, just running away from everything and everyone. He remembered deciding against a hospital. They'd know him, and they'd never believe him.

Kisuke nodded. "What you really need to do is that everything has been reported to the authorities and your father has already been taken into custody."

Ichigo's eyes widened considerably, and he managed a choked, "What?"

"I know, you're scared, Ichigo, but don't be. You are legally placed in my care, as are both your sisters, as of this morning. Your father has been picked up already, and the evidence is damning. Your sister was adamant I took this route last night. She was so angry she didn't care what happened to your father. She was also angry at herself. You must understand, though, I had no choice in the matter, no matter what your sister said. I work with the National Agency, and the division I run is a child protection and intervention division. I locate and deal with children and young people who are abused, neglected, or otherwise need a place to go," he said, soothing back the boy's hair from his face. His eyes were still frightened, and Kisuke didn't like that. It was obvious that the news that his father had been taken in was a shock. And Kisuke had some ideas on why it scared him so much. "I personally run a house for kids in the toughest situations. Other kids I assign to other homes. I've had eight kids get through here and I've got four now."

Kisuke paused and handed him a glass of water. "I know this is scary, but we'll help you through. Believe it or not, your condition isn't the worst I've dealt with. Shiro, actually, refused to come out of his room for a month and it took us nearly a year for him to quit trying to hide from everyone. He'd had it beaten into him that he was disgusting and a freak of nature that didn't deserve to live. It took a while, but he's a very strong boy now. And you will be too, Ichigo, especially when you've found your voice again," Kisuke paused and took a deep breath. "I've already contacted the school, and though they argued with me, the arrest solidified things. I am unsure what they will do to your father, but you, as a minor, will not go in front of the court. The recorded testimonies and evidence kits are enough."

There was a long silence until Ichigo looked up from the empty glass he held tightly in his hands. What would he do? What would the girls do? Their father was everything they had, and he'd ruined it. It was his fault that he'd gone that far, he was sure of it. There was no other explanation of what had happened. He'd done something. He'd pushed his father too much, and he just took things to a new level of punishment. Right? He swallowed a couple times and finally managed to form the words.

"Did he say anything?" he said very softly.

Kisuke sighed, knowing this was coming. He could already see the boy's face changing as he began pulling self-blame and self-hatred into his mind. He'd seen it so many times. How many times had this boy been told everything was his fault? How many times had he been beaten down while berated about how every blow was his own doing? Very likely, he was confused, sad, and upset, and despite what his father had done, he regretted him going to jail.

"He did. I think by the time I got there with the authorities, he understood all too well what had occurred. He told us everything."

_Kisuke stood in front of the door with three uniformed men surrounding him. This was the best and worst part of this job, the confronting of the abusers in the lives of the kids he worked with. Sometimes he did it at a jail, others he did it at the home when he intervened for one of the others to send them to a different home. Most of his own kids were parentless when he got them, but he'd ran point on more than one that had to be dealt with. He reached up and knocked. Isshin hadn't gone to work today, and it was after eight now. The door opened and a tall, broad man with short, black hair stared back out at them. Kisuke nodded to him and the man swallowed hard and moved away, letting them in._

_ "Dr. Kurosaki, I presume," Kisuke said, looking around the living room, eyes catching every detail. It was extremely neat. Pictures lined the walls._

_"Yeah," he said, rather meekly, staring at the ground. He was pale, and obviously had a headache. "I know why you're here."_

_"I assume you do. Imagine my surprise to find myself with three new charges, all siblings, in less than a day after getting settled into my new home here in Karakura Town. Already I have four, now five, and now three more. Seems to be my lot in life to have eight kids on hand at a time. You know who my boss is, I take it?" he asked, walking toward the shrine of a woman with hair very much like Ichigo's in color. Perhaps a slight bit more brown._

_"Yamamoto. He heads the National Agency. You're Division Fourteen's captain, and for you to come in person, you've already taken custody of my children," he said, nearly robotically. "I knew they were redistricting, but I didn't expect you to move to this area. I've dealt with the Division in the emergency many times."_

_Kisuke sighed deeply. "So, tell me, Dr. Kurosaki, what drove you to do something so…terrible?"_

_"I…I never forgave him. I felt he caused Masaki's death, and I suppose the reason was the killer was never caught, and I had to blame someone, so it became him. At first it was just in my own mind, and then when I turned to drinking, it came out. And eventually, I couldn't hide it from him, and he just made me so angry the older he got, looking more and more like his mother every day…and I wanted her, not him. I would have saved her and sacrificed him if I could have, and I know that makes me a horrible father, but I…I was saved by her. She was what drew me away from everything bad, and she was my shelter. And Ichigo loved her so much. And he cried so much, so very much, and I hated him for his sadness, how could I have hated my own son?" he was crying now, although silently._

_"I'd come home at night, and take everything out on him, and he'd take it, silent as always. Until last night. Something…something snapped, and I wasn't looking at my son, I was looking at Masaki. And I…I took what I wanted…and then when it was over he was looking up at me with such a look of…betrayal, with Masaki's eyes, and I knew…I knew then…I lost Masaki because I didn't deserve to have her. Someone must have seen this darkness in my heart, and they took her from me…" he said, finishing with a sighed. "Just…take me. Take care of them, all three of them. I can never be forgiven, but I'll love them until I die. I cannot be more sorry for what I've done to my son. He was already so fragile…so please, make sure he doesn't break down more than can be fixed."_

Kisuke sighed. "He was sorry, he said, and said that he didn't deserve forgiveness for any of it. He said your mother would have been very sad and unhappy with him."

Ichigo swallowed. "Okay," he said softly.

Kisuke watched him and realized he didn't believe him. He was sure his father would yell and scream and blame him, and now he thought that there was no way he would have said such things. Kisuke sighed. Six years was a lot to work through, especially on the heels of losing his mother. The combination of events was devastating. There was a light thump at the door.

"I think there are a couple people who want to see you out there," he said seriously. "Are you up to seeing your sisters?" he asked.

Ichigo took a breath and nodded. He needed to see them. He needed to apologize for taking their father away from them. What else could he do? They were without a father and a mother now, and it was all because of him. His mother died because of him, and now his father was in jail because of him. How could he ever atone for what had happened? He was sure they would blame him. He was sure they would be angry.

Kisuke went to the door and opened it a crack. "Okay, you lot, watch out, don't wear him out, and keep an eye on the tubes, got it? Watch his ribs. He's a bit loopy from the morphine he's been given, too."

He then opened the door and Karin and Yuzu rushed in, one on each side of the bed and they paused, then slid into the bed, each one settling under one of his arms. Both gave a pleased sigh. He sighed and hugged them each. "M'sorry," he mumbled to them.

"Goddammit, Ichigo, there's nothing to be sorry for!" Karin chided, slapping him gently on the hand where it draped over her shoulder. He looked at his sister with bleary eyes, tears already threatening again. He felt so weak in front of his sisters. And he felt like he'd taken something important form them.

"Not a thing to be sorry for, Ichi-nii. Please, don't think that. I'm glad you're safe now, with us. For good," Yuzu said, hugging his body gently.

Ichigo's eyes filled with tears and both girls looked at him. "But…dad's gone…and…" he stammered hoarsely. "I…if I…and after mom…"

"Fuck him, the bastard deserves what he gets, he's no father of mine anymore, Ichigo. Not after what he's done, and not just last night. If I'd realized sooner…Gods Ichigo, why didn't you tell anyone?" Karin asked, sitting up and staring at him. He looked down and away again, the submissive posture coming back the moment anyone got forceful with him.

Karin lifted his chin, voice calmer this time and soft. "Don't do that. You started doing that when he started hitting you, Ichigo, I understand that now. I was too young then to realize that my big strong brother was hurting so much, so very much. And I'm so angry with myself for not seeing it. Maybe I did, but I didn't want to believe it. No one has a right to hit you like that. No one has the right to blame you for something you couldn't have stopped. _You didn't do anything wrong._ I know he convinced you of the fact that you did, that somehow you caused mom's death. I heard the shit he told you last night. You were _nine_ and it was her job to protect you. It was dad's job too, but he forgot it in his endless grief. Well, he can go grieve for our mother behind bars for the rest of his pathetic life. We've got a new home here, and we'll make the best of it."

Ichigo crinkled his forehead in confusion and looked to Yuzu. "Oh yes, Ichigo, we're working on getting the rooms set up now. Karin, me and Ururu will be sharing a room together, and then Toshiro and Jinta will share, and you'll have your own room. Of course, the boys Grimmjow and Shiro share a room already. Us girls will be upstairs with Ms. Yourichi, and Mr. Tessai, and you boys will have rooms down here with Mr. Kisuke. There's also the spares where the Visored kids come and go, they're the ones that picked us up last night, Mr. Kisuke's team, I guess. They used to live with him too."

Ichigo's head was spinning. He wasn't sure how much more information he could take in before it split, honestly. He still had a monster headache, and the back of his head throbbed absently. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. He hesitated to think how bed his head would hurt if he wasn't taking morphine through the IV, but it was obviously starting to wear off.

"Okay girls, enough for now, I'm going to give him some pain medication so he can get some rest before dinner, you girls go hang with the others in the front of the store. Ururu and Jinta are supposed to be dusting and sweeping, but I'm sure there is much more playing around going on than actual work, but alas, I'm used to it. I'm going to have some people in and out to talk to Ichigo for the next few days, okay? But just let me know if you want to spend some time with him alone," Kisuke said, shooing them away.

Once they were gone, Ichigo found himself looking at the bucket hat wearing blond again sitting beside him. He stared at him, and couldn't understand why he was helping. How could he be worth this kind of attention? He shifted a bit uncomfortably, pain beginning to flare at several other points as whatever pain medicine he'd been given was starting to wear off. He shifted to lie on his side, hissing as his bruised ribs protested, but it was better than the pain in his backside from sitting.

"Okay, I understand you don't speak much," he began and Ichigo prepared himself for the "you're going to speak or you're out speech". He'd had similar talks with teachers over the years. "And that's fine, but I'd like to work on it a little at a time, because everyone here would love to hear you speak. Can we come to a little agreement that you come to me and say one word each day?" he asked with a smile. "Just one word."

Ichigo smiled, "Yes," he said softly.

Kisuke grinned at him. "Now, the only uncomfortable thing we have today is the officers are here to verify what happened. You will need to say yes out loud for them to record. You will not have to give a detailed account, at least, not until you're ready. Do you think you can do that?" he asked gently.

Ichigo felt his heart surge but he nodded. It had to be done. "Okay, just a moment."

The man went to the door and motioned and let two uniformed officers in. "Ichigo, this is Sergeant Leesan, she was here last night and took everyone else's statements."

She sat down and Ichigo thought she was a very nice looking police officer. She was thin, tall and had black hair that was cut nicely around her heart shaped face. Her eyes were dark brown and she looked kind. He assumed she worked with kids on a daily basis. He abhorred thinking of himself as a kid, but according to them, he was indeed.

"Ichigo, I'm just going to ask some yes or no questions, and I need you to verbally respond. I know that you have difficulty with speaking, and that's fine for now. When you are up to it, we'll take a full statement. I understand from your sisters that you have what is usually referred to as photographic memory, correct?" she asked softly.

He nodded, then remember, so he swallowed and said, "Yes," softly.

"Very good, Ichigo, very good. Now, has your father been abusing you since your mother was killed six years ago?" she asked. Ichigo's brow furrowed and he shrugged, looking confused.

"Sergeant, in these cases you may need to quantify what the word 'abuse' means. Ichigo is of the opinion still that he received punishments, not abuse, and still believes he deserves the things that happened to him," Kisuke supplied. She nodded.

"What I mean, Ichigo, is did your dad begin to strike hard enough to bruise you close to when your mother died?" she clarified.

He nodded, saying "yes," again softly. Was that the definition of abuse? Hitting hard enough to bruise?

"Okay, I'm going to ask several questions in a row, if you want me to stop, put up your hand, if you can keep track, let me go forward. With your memory, you can handle this sort of questioning, correct?"

"Yes," he said again. That would be easier for him. The sooner it was over the better. Kisuke was measuring out something in a syringe, and he hoped it was pain medicine because there was a deep ache coming into his head.

"Okay, did your dad ever hit hard enough to break bones? Did he ever burn you? Did he hit you with any objects, such as belts, switches or things like hair brushes or paddles? Did he ever tell you not to tell others that these things happened? And did he tell you that what he did was for a reason?" she asked smoothly, reading off the clipboard she carried.

"Yes, all," he said softly. Kisuke injected the medication into the IV, knowing that the interview was going to be over very soon.

"Now, one last question, and the hardest one, did your father come to you last night and sexually assault you?" she asked.

Ichigo's eyes began to water and he nodded. "Yes," he said in a broken whisper.

Before the word was complete, Kisuke had sat down on the bed beside him and grabbed his hands, pulling him against him, tucking his head into the hollow of his shoulder. The officer nodded and left quietly. Ichigo turned and grabbed his green robes and buried his face in the soft fabric, and Kisuke wrapped his arms around his back, tugging him closer. Then, the flood began that Kisuke had been waiting on. It had been why he'd remained close by. It was inevitable. The tears would come, and he wouldn't want his sisters to see it happen. But Kisuke, if nothing else knew how to handle tears of broken children. And despite the fact that the boy sobbing rather vocally into his shirt at the moment was fifteen, and some would say near a man, he was still a child. He'd lost six years of childhood to a grief stricken father who couldn't see beyond his own pain. Pain did terrible things to people, and sometimes, it drove them to do things as Isshin had done. Sometimes, the only solution to pain is to give it to someone else. Unfortunately, Ichigo became the target of the pain that he needed to release.

He was held on as the boy released it into him. For all intents, he was now this boy's father, though he never claimed that name once in all his time caring for the kids who came through his doors. For most of these kids, the words mother and father meant nothing but pain, hatred, and hurt. The closest terms of endearment he had were when the kids called him "boss" or "bossman" since he was in charge of the house. He himself learned at a young age he couldn't have children, he was completely sterile. Ironic that he would end up raising the unwanted children of the world. He sighed and felt the boy's breathing had become even and deep. The pain medicine had done the job, and the exhausted boy had not been able to resist the sleep that it induced.

He extracted himself carefully and laid him down quietly and left the room, shutting the door quietly and clicking the button to activate the camera. He headed to the kitchen where the monitors were set up. Kisuke wasn't naïve. He knew the kind of trouble that kids with troubled pasts could get into. There wasn't an inch of his home that wasn't monitored. It was for their safety as well as the safety of the kids.

Yourichi called from the front that there were a couple visitors. He said to bring them back. He looked up, surprised to see a face he hadn't seen in years. He'd read it in Ichigo's file, but never thought he'd come see him. The tall, thin, white haired Ryuken Ishida stood with his equally tall and thin dark haired son, Uryu, in the entrance to his kitchen with Yourichi behind them.

"Come in," he said softly, turning Ichigo's monitor around so he could sit and keep an eye on the sleeping form at the same time as he sat at the table talking to the two visitors.

Uryu frowned when he saw that Ichigo was on the monitor, sleeping and with various cords running to him. He didn't speak, though and sat down beside his father. Kisuke was well aware that Ryuken was of the opinion that children should be seen and not heard, and no doubt Uryu was well aware of this fact.

"Urahara. When did you get to Karakura? I thought you were two towns over. What happened to the woman who was over this area, Unohana's girl, Isane was it?" he asked.

"Redistricting. I just acquired Karakura Town two weeks ago. Just moved my kids here last week, after I had the renovations done on the shoten completed. Enough rooms, for any kids I have and the Visored are working with me of course," he said, smiling thanks to Yourichi as she sat down a cup of tea for him and then handed one to each of the Ishidas before sitting with her own.

From behind them there was a yelp. "Get back here ya goddamned red headed brat and bring that back!" came a cry. "Jinta, gonna fuckin' kill ya!"

A red headed boy with a backpack clutched in his arms came skidding into the kitchen. "Catch, Kisuke!" he yelled, and tossed the backpack and ran out the door laughing manically, just as Shiro came skidding into the kitchen in his sock feet.

"Fuckin' brat," he muttered and reached for his bag.

"Shiro, language," Kisuke muttered, holding it aloft a moment before handing it to him.

"You're tellin' me language, that brat cusses like a sailor, boss!" he exclaimed then realized that there were guests. "Oh, heya there Uryu, fancy meetin' ya here!" he said with an easy grin. He felt the older man's eyes on him, but he ignored it At least it wasn't a glare, simply a curious glance. "I guess ya came buy cuza Ichi. He's sleepin' for the moment, just checked 'im after Jinta went through like a tornado. But ya get bored with old men talk, come to the back, Grim and I are working on the work we missed today," he said, turning on his heels and looked back at Kisuke. "For tha record, boss, that's why I was after Jinta. Brat took my work. Isn't he supposed to be cleaning the counters up front?"

Kisuke slapped his shoulder affectionately. "Go on, old men talking, I'll talk to Jinta," he growled, and Shiro set to cackling as he ran to the back of the house.

"Lively household," Ryuken said with an arched brow.

"Well, now that I'm housing three fifteen year old boys, two eleven year old girls, one thirteen year old boy, one twelve year old boy and a twelve year old girl, yeah, it is quite lively. Went from having four to eight overnight," he said with a sigh.

"Four to eight?" Ryuken said with a frown. "I knew you had four, but where did the others come from?"

"Ichigo and his sisters, Karin and Yuzu, and then Karin's boyfriend Toshiro. His mom is a hooker and was locking him outside while she was with her johns. Picked him up last night at three AM when the world exploded for the Kurosaki kids," he said sadly. Yourichi had gone to figure out who was irritating who more in the back and to remind Jinta that he was supposed to be scrubbing counters since his work was already done for the day.

Uryu shook his head. "What happened? I don't understand. The teacher said he was ill when we asked. Then Ryuken brings me over here, and I have no idea what's going on. Who are you even?"

Ryuken rolled his eyes. Kisuke smiled, though. "Uryu, I forget what a dick your father can be. I've worked with him a few times. My name is Kisuke Urahara, and I run this store, a simple candy shop, yes, but I also foster kids who need homes due to abuse, neglect or becoming orphaned due to issues. I am the captain of the child protection Division fourteen of the National Agency, and recently took over jurisdiction in Karakura Town with my team, which all happen to have been kids I raised in my home. I've raised kids who were in some dire circumstances. In fact, my kids are those in the worst situations. Ichigo came to my attention yesterday. Last night, Karin and Yuzu ran away and asked me to find him. I managed, and got him medical care he needed, and now for the next few days, he'll be under observation by Tessai, our pediatrics specialist in the house," he said fondly, his eyes soft when talking to Uryu.

"But what happened?" Uryu asked again. "Why is he hurt and why is he here and not home?"

"Uryu, really," Ryuken said with a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder how you are at the top of your class; your deductive reasoning skills need some serious practice. There are few reasons that the child protection Division gets involved. Think, son."

"His father hurt him? But isn't he my uncle…" he began.

"Do not call him that, ever," Ryuken growled. "I accept my responsibility as Ichigo's uncle from now on, Urahara, only because _he_ is not involved in his life anymore. I'll accept the responsibility for the twins as well. If you do not wish to take them in, I am offering my own home."

"Father," Uryu said softly, and Ryuken gave him his attention. His son never called him father. "What is so wrong with Isshin Kurosaki from the past that you wanted nothing to do with our family ties before he was out of the picture? You barely tolerated Ichigo coming to visit, and the only reason you did was because he never spoke, not one word, the entire time he was there."

Before he spoke, Grimmjow came into the room, almost panicked. "Kisuke, news, now, you're gonna wanna see this…"  
Kisuke turned and grabbed the remote for a small TV he had on the wall of monitors. "…and sources confirmed that well-known physician and clinic owner and operator Isshin Kurosaki has been arrested without bail this morning. While we are unable to reveal our sources, they have revealed that the list of charges against Dr. Kurosaki revolve around his oldest child, Ichigo Kurosaki, currently a student at Karakura secondary, with top grades in his class. The charges range from child abuse and child neglect to sexual assault of a minor. Our source confirms that he is pleading no contest to all charges…."

Kisuke turned it off with a groan. "Great," he muttered. "I was hoping I'd have at least a week before it blew up. Having him so well-known is tough. I'm used to kids who have parents that are drug addicts or nobodies. This is the first time I've taken kids in that were 'well-off' by standards."

Uryu stood up. "I'm going with Grimmjow," he said suddenly, a look of determination crossing his face, looking up at the blue haired boy he'd met the day before. Grimmjow nodded and motioned him toward the back.

Ryuken sighed. Kisuke arched a brow. "You ever going to tell Uryu the truth about what happened between you and Isshin?"

"How can I?" he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing them with his tie. "I mean, I don't know. How do I tell my son that his uncle botched the surgery on his mother because he was drunk when he did it and she died?"

"You never know, Ryuken, it might just help make things clear," Kisuke said softly. "As far as your offer to take in the Kurosakis, that's not up to me only. Now that they've been transferred to my care, they'll stay here unless I decide to allow a guardianship to you and the Old Man agrees. I'm not sure you could handle them, Ryuken. You barely tolerate your own son."

Ryuken nodded. "Might I have another cup of tea?" he asked, eyes drifting to the monitor where Uryu was sitting on the floor in Grimmjow and Shiro's room.

"What happened?" Uryu asked after he got comfortable with the book in his lap.

Grimmjow and Shiro exchanged glances and recanted the story between the two of them of the night before from beginning to end according to Karin and Yuzu. By the time they were done, Uryu had paled considerably. He sighed and rubbed his face lightly with his hand. "I just can't believe this," he said softly.

Grimmjow sighed. "Look, believe this or not, he's in the best place. Kisuke has raised a lot of us thrown away kids. I mean, look at Shiro and me. I watched my dad murder my little brother and my mom, the shoot himself. I was fucked up for a while. Then Shiro here spent the first fuckin' ten years of his life locked in a basement because his parents told him he was freak of nature and a demon or some stupid shit, so they beat the 'evil' out of him and starved him. Then there's the ones that are now working for Kisuke. Hell, Uryu, two of the girls were rescued from a fucking prostitution ring at ten and thirteen, and another pair were used as drug mules at the age of five. We are one fucked up family around here, but if we know one thing, it is how to deal with fucked up," he said with a nod.

Uryu nodded. "I guess I never thought about what happened to kids in really bad situations. But how could his dad…I mean to go that far…"

"You can say it; you will have to come to accept what happened to him. He's your cousin and your friend, and he's got a long way to go from here. Especially now that everyone in Karakura Town knows he's been raped by his father. He's going to need everyone to get him through this. Unlike Shiro and me, our parents weren't shit. Strung out druggies, and fuck all. Ichigo's dad is a doctor. A man that saves lives here," Shiro said with a sigh, and Uryu noticed that the accent he had seemed to disappear when he got really serious in his speech.

Uryu looked at his phone that had vibrated. He swallowed. "Renji…" he said softly and put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, I heard, I'm…I'm actually where he is now. Yeah…I'll ask if you can come here, just a minute," Uryu said and went into the kitchen and saw Kisuke and his dad talking quietly.

"Um, excuse me, Kisuke?" he asked tentatively. Kisuke looked up with a smile, his father rolled his eyes again at his son, mostly because he was addressing him with familiarity already.

"Yes, Uryu? What do you need?" Kisuke asked grinning, pleased that he'd already went to calling him by his first name.

"Well, Ichigo's best friend, Renji, he called me and wants to know if they can come see him," he said, phone clutched to his ear still.

Kisuke thought. "Tell him tomorrow, as long as his pain is manageable he can have visitors after school. You can bring them over straight after if you would like since you know where to find the shoten. Grimm and Shiro will be in school tomorrow as well, so if you need they can direct you and bring you all here."

"Thanks," he said and left to go back to the hallway.

"Did you hear that?" he asked Renji as he moved down the hallway.

_"Yeah, is it true? What they said on the news?" _Renji's voice was pained, and he heard Rukia in the background.

"It is. I just…I haven't…Renji I don't know what to think," he said softly, leaning against the frame of the door with Shiro and Grimmjow watching him from inside the room.

"Hey, four-eyes, gimme tha phone to talk to red," Shiro said, reaching for it. Uryu rolled his eyes and handed over the phone.

"Yo, Red, boy, okay, here's the deal, if you want to help, good, but keep the pity shit out of your voice when you see him. Like really. I've been through shit like this, I'm one of Kisuke's fucked up kids after all, but the worst is the pity. He don't need that shit. What he needs is you to be there, and help him get through it. He's gonna have to talk. He's going to need to be reminded that he's worth your time and attention, and he's going to push your ass away as hard as he can. He's gonna fuckin' lash out, and if the whole of us get away without a broken bone, it will be amazing. Shit, I was ten, and I managed to give the boss a fuckin' black eye, okay? Kids like us, it takes us time to adjust, get that shit outta our heads. And some of that shit don't leave ever," Shiro said in a rush not giving Renji time to interrupt. "We got a couple girls that can help him get over the rape shit, I mean, they were forced into fucking prostitution at eight or nine, and we've got some other boys in our group that been beat the shit out of by their parents and others. And got me and Hachi, the locked up and neglected fuckers. Eight adults and four kids not including Ichigo and his sisters and whitey."

Renji was quiet for a long time. _"Just tell me what I need to know, whatever it is, we'll do it for him. We've been tryin' for years to help, and we just didn't know how."_

"Then just listen to me and the others. We know what the fuck we're doing. Most of us have lived it in one way or another. He's not alone, not anymore. And he's gotta be reminded of that."

Shiro handed the phone to Uryu. "I'm going, okay, Ren? See you at school tomorrow."

He clicked the phone closed and slumped to the floor. "This is going to be hard. I'm worried about the other students. He gets picked on as it is, and now with this?"

Shiro sighed and leaned back, dropping his head into Grimmjow's lap. "Yeah, expect cat calls of 'whore', 'slut', and the like. These type, always happens when it's public. Probably be accused of being gay…"

"That part's true," Uryu said with a sigh. He hoped that outing Ichigo in front of their new friends wouldn't damage their friendship. He didn't want to do anything to hurt him.

"Ah fuck, really?" Shiro said. "Gonna be worse then, is he out?"

Uryu nodded. "It was when he was thirteen, one of our friends, Orihime, she had a crush on him forever, you know, the one that's dating the tall black haired girl? Well, she thought she wanted Ichigo, and it blew up one day during a field day when she just would not leave him alone and he ended up yelling at her to leave him alone, he didn't want her, he was gay so drop it. Considering he doesn't really speak, it was huge. Yeah, everyone heard it, and if they didn't, they knew by the next day. Cue next rounds of him and Renji getting jumped. This time by homophobes. Didn't bother Renji one bit and he kept on like nothing had changed, because it hadn't changed for him. Wasn't long until Orihime hooked up with Arisawa."

Grimmjow heaved a sigh, planting a hand in Shiro's hair and rubbing it. "Oh, Grimmy, right there…" he muttered, practically purring and letting his eyes flutter with pleasure.

He rolled his cyan eyes and looked at Uryu. "How's you and the pink haired boy doing?"

Uryu smiled. "We're going to the movies this weekend. First date. If he doesn't cancel again. He's canceled all our dates so far. Can't help but hope he doesn't mind moving fast, I haven't had a boyfriend in a while…and I am totally up for some rough love."

Shiro snickered. "You are a man-slut, huh?"

Uryu shrugged. "Well, I do the topping, so I guess it works, right?"

Grimmjow grinned. "Ah, well, you never know if you like the bottoming until you try it."

Shiro smirked up at him. "You would know, wouldn't you bluebell? Mr. 'I won't bottom for nobody'. Yeah, that lasted a week before I had you screaming my name…"

"Wait," Uryu said. "You two are together?"

"Well, sort of…we are together…but we are interested in adding to our little group. I find the idea of a trio fascinating. And I'm dying to test it out," Shiro said. "So together and looking at the same time. Wanna join?"

Uryu shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. Saz will be enough for me, thanks. Maybe you can help Ichgo accept himself; he's always had a hard time with it. Of course, now, who knows? He may swear off sex and love forever. I couldn't blame him if he did. But I hope somehow he can get his heart fixed in the end. I hate to see him…so broken."

"That's a long way off for him," Grimmjow said, threading his hands through the white hair in his lap. "But we'll be here for whatever he needs, no questions asked."


	4. Chapter 4: Revelations, Startling

**Sins of the Father**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_Revelations, Startling and Otherwise_

* * *

"Kisuke, I need you to come to my lab," came the voice across the phone and Kisuke growled under his breath.

"You realize that it is eight in the morning and I have a new boy in the house that needs my attention," he growled, flipping the monitor on Ichigo's room around. Still sleeping, he was glad of that.

There was shout on the other end. "No, it is about your new boy. I got the rape kit, ran my own tests, and found something very disturbing. Something I don't want to talk about on the phone, if you know what I mean. I'll send a car. Get Shinji or someone to watch the kid. I need you here, you're the only other halfway intelligent person around that can verify my findings," Kurotsuki said with a growl in his voice that brokered no argument.

"Fine, I call in a couple Visored to stay with him for today. How far out from me is your lab now?" he asked, already standing and looking for his clothes.

"About two hours from Karakura. One, if I send Nemu," he said, and he heard the smile on his face.

"Whatever Mayuri, I'll be ready," he groused and went about dressing. Before, anything he would have breakfast.

He headed to the kitchen to find Tessai already getting it ready. He smiled at him and sat heavily, flipping out his phone. Tessai and Kisuke had been together so long that there was no need for words between the two men.

"What's up, boss man?" came Shinji's voice, a bit sleep slurred.

"Hey, can you and someone come up to sit with the newbie while I go see what has Kurotsuki hot under the collar? Says he's found something disturbing in the kit I sent him, and you know when he uses that word, it is pretty damn serious," he said, rubbing his face and giving a nod of thanks to Tessai as he sat down a plate with eggs and potatoes.

"Gotcha, me and Kensai're free today. We'll head over now. How far you got with him?" he asked lightly, and Kisuke heard him rustling to get dressed no doubt.

"Ah, we got through the first tears, but he's still closed off about the whole thing. We've yet to get past one or two words at a time. So good luck, just try to keep him in bed and on the IV while I'm gone. He's sending Nemu, so she'll be here in a flash. See ya later, Shin."

He hung up and scarfed his food down before he heard the impatient beep outside. Almost an hour exactly. Wait, he thought, how had an hour passed. He glanced at his plate. He was out of it today. Damn, that woman could drive faster than anyone he knew. It was best to hold on and close your eyes when riding with her. Of course, what could be expected from a Kurotsuki. He had no idea how she managed to stay married to Mayuri as much of an ass he was. He was a genius, but an ass nonetheless. Before long, he was out of the car and headed into a nondescript office building. He punched in a code on the elevator buttons and the car went below the basement level. Nemu got off ahead of him and headed off in another direction and he followed the yelling to where Mayuri was currently berating a couple of his men.

"Akon, really? You…oh Kisuke!" he said, looking toward him when he heard the distinct click-clop of his geta on the hard floor punctuated with the twack of his cane. With billowing green robes, Kisuke did play the part of the eccentric quite well. And how he did enjoy the looks he got for playing that part.

He was ushered over to a machine showing a read out of what was obviously a chemical compound. Kisuke blinked and went into genius researcher mode. Kisuke may have spent the last fifteen years of his life either chasing criminals for Division one of the National Agency or heading the home for the Kiss Kids, but he also started Division twelve of the National Agency, which was the Research Division. Along with the duties of a regular Shinigami Division, they conducted research and occasionally development. After he left twelve to head up fourteen, his lieutenant Mayuri had taken over for him. Mayuri was a little unstable though, but he made up for it in brilliance.

"Mayuri, am I looking at a…synthetic drug?" he asked, and then looked into the microscope set up beside it.

He smiled at his old mentor. "You are. Something called Triptych. And I'll give you one guess who manufactures and distributes it."

Kisuke stood up. There was only one group they were interested in these days. "Espada."

"You got it. Now, it seems that Szayelporra has been busy, but we'd expect no less. I wish I had him in my lab to be honest. Granted, he's not as good as you, but I'd take a competent fellow in the lab. No, this stuff is insidious. It is a like a date rape drug on steroids, basically, with the added effect of a stimulant and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor," he said proudly.

"Wait, what does it do exactly?" A date rape drug with the effect of Viagra? The hell was Szayel thinking….

"The name indicates the three things that it does. The first it is makes a person an almost hypnotic state of high suggestibility. The second, it increases full body arousal and blood flow to necessary areas of the body. Third, it triggers highly realistic hallucinations, usually related to the suggestions planted. And finally, unlike GHB and other current 'date rape' drugs, it leaves the user with a clear cut memory of what has occurred," he said with a nod.

Kisuke let out a low whistle. "Wow, and all without killing someone?"

Mayuri snorted. "Assuming they're healthy when dosed with it. It would be unlikely for someone to take this willingly, and it has limited function for rape purposes because the person taking it remembers everything. And most people aren't looking to get their rape victim aroused by the act. Of course, in this case, that is exactly why it was used."

Kisuke leaned back against the table. "You've found something disturbing. I'd like to hear it."

"Your kit, the one you sent me, I tested the seminal fluid. That was where this drug was found," he said, gesturing to the readouts.

"What?" Kisuke said with a frown. "You mean the kid's dad was dosed with this stuff and he went home and decided to rape his own kid?"

Mayuri shook his head. "He had to have the suggestion put there; otherwise he'd have had an erection and gone to beat off in private. No, someone suggested that he go home and find his wife, obviously, the statements said he kept calling him 'Masaki'. Someone targeted your kid and his family in order to tear it apart, and since this is a custom job by none other than Szayel himself…"

"That means Aizen's onto them for some reason…" Kisuke said with a deep frown etching across his brow under his hat.

"I think I can help with that," came a voice from behind them. Kisuke turned to see a man he knew in passing.

"Kaien Shiba," he said with a nod. "What is the captain of the arms enforcement division doing here?" This was getting to be confusing. He would have expected to see Gin Ichimaru, head of the Drug division rather than Kaien.

"Can we go somewhere and talk, Kisuke? It's about the Kurosakis. There's some information that you don't have…" he said, and Kisuke could read the unrest and pain etched into the younger man's face. His blue eyes were strained, and his black hair, while always a tousled mess had the look of just rolling out of bed today.

Mayuri led them to a private conference room and they sat down together. Mayuri didn't offer to leave, and Kaien didn't suggest it. The researcher did have an insatiable curiosity. And Kisuke couldn't help liking him. He'd brought him in and trained him, after all, actually pulling him out of a mental asylum. Crazy mother, but brilliant. And as long as he was given a lab and able to experiment how he saw fit, he didn't do anything too illegal.

"First off, Isshin Kurosaki has been transferred to private holding cells pending investigation by division two which began as soon as Captain Kurotsuki's findings came about early this morning. If there was a chance this was a directed attack by the Espada we want to know for sure before Isshin is sentenced," he said softly. The unspoken connotation to the word sentenced wasn't lost on the other two men at the table. The Old Man didn't tolerate children being harmed.

"Why would the Espada target the Kurosakis?" Kisuke asked, frowning because there was no reason to target a doctor and his family in this fashion.

"Because they aren't really Kurosakis, their last name is more properly Shiba. You see, Isshin is my older brother," he said with a deep and regretful sigh.

Kisuke looked him over realizing that he did bear a strong resemblance to Ichigo. Facial features were similar, and if the hair were obnoxiously orange, it would almost look like Ichigo. "I take it this was hidden because you were a captain in order to keep the Espada and others from using leverage against you?"

Kaien shook his head. "It goes further than that. Our father is Old Man Yamamoto…we bear our mother's last name."

There was a long moment of silence as the information processed. "You mean, those three kids I have are the _Old Man's_ grandkids? And they don't even know him?" Kisuke asked, brow creasing in annoyance and partial fury. They had real _family_ and were living in his home. Aside from Ryuken, but he was _not _a family man. "Why?"

Kaien cleared his throat. "When Isshin was born, and later when I was born, our father decided that he would let us choose our path, which is why we were given the name Shiba. Isshin was in father's division, and learning quickly despite his youth. But he was young, only eighteen, and twenty years ago, he did something that many people do, fell in love. But the problem was, he fell in love with Masaki Ishida, last of the line of the Quincy family that the Shinigami nearly obliterated years ago. The Quincy were a crime family, old blood and a long line of controlling every aspect of the criminal underworld, I'm sure you remember the stories of the Old Man's father and that era. But Isshin, stubborn ass, fell in love with the last one, well one of them, Ryuken Ishida was the other. The Ishidas had sworn fealty to the Shinigami and were allowed to live their lives under strict surveillance by division two. Isshin was a member for a while and that's how he met Masaki. He wanted his own life, so our father had his past erased and rebuilt and Isshin Kurosaki married Masaki Ishida. In order to do this, it was agreed, he nor his children would ever have knowledge of their true family."

Kaien laid his head back. "It was hard for us. I couldn't even attend his wedding, and all ties were cut. Your people encountered him in the hospital, but he kept up his act and did including the day you picked him up. That wasn't going to change. Once the Old Man got wind of what had happened, his interest piqued when you requested the file on the Kurosakis, he decided that his son would die for what he'd done. Of course, it was to be accidental, when he was incarcerated. But it would happen. The only thing holding it back was Kurotsuki's findings. Once he sent the report over this morning, the Old Man had him transferred to a secure location and went to talk to him. He didn't tell him about the drug, but he did interrogate him. What he found was consistent with what Ichigo told you.

"He said he'd been at the bar, drinking way too much after the shooting victim that was in a similar circumstance to Masaki. He spoke to a dark skinned man with a bald head, according to the bartender. The man was quite tall, over six feet, and left after one drink with Isshin. Security footage of the bar indicate this was true, and though he kept from looking at the camera, we are relatively sure it was Zommari. We also see him appearing to drop something into Isshin's drink, but the footage is grainy. However, with Kurotsuki's findings…" He paused and scratched his head. "Anyway, he went on to say he went home, and he had no idea why but found himself unlocking Ichigo's door, which he said he never did when he was drunk because he couldn't maneuver the key. Then he was hit with familiar irrational anger and he hit the boy, which he told the Old Man he did do often, drunk or not drunk, but it was worse when he drank.

"Then he said he found himself incredibly aroused and he was looking at Masaki. It wasn't Ichigo, he was somehow gone and his brain kept supplying him with everything he needed to believe it was her. He didn't argue, he simply wanted to hold her, but he found himself 'making love' to her like he had in the past. Then, when he stepped back, his mind cleared, likely the drug was wearing off if we compare time frames, and he was horrified when her image resolved into his own son. The secondary reaction of nausea hit, and then he was in the bathroom, and told the girls to leave him. He said he contemplated killing himself, but he passed out before he could do anything, then you showed up the next day with the police."

Kaien sighed then, pulling out a cigarette and questioning Mayuri silently, lighting it when the research captain gave a nod. "So basically we've got a problem. The Old Man doesn't know what the seven hells to do now. Obviously, Isshin and Ichigo can't be reunited under any circumstances, even though he was under the influence of a drug when he committed the act. It doesn't matter why he did it, the fact is the kid is scarred for life as it is. Presenting him with information that his father was as much of a victim as he was, it might do more harm than good at this point. I can't take him, obviously, and his uncle…well I'd rather not see him raised a Quincy."

Kisuke shook his head. "No, I'd honestly rather he stay where he is. Isshin still abused him for the last six years, even if the sexual abuse was done under the influence of a drug. From what I've found out, even before this he was withdrawn and silent. The girls, though…I doubt they'll want anything to do with their father either. They are very protective of their older brother, and though young, they are quite strong willed. I think it would be a mistake to separate the three of them. I've already talked to Ryuken. He says he will take responsibility if necessary, but since he barely tolerates the son he does have, we agreed he was not an option."

"Then there's the bigger problem, Kisuke," Kaien said, sitting back and dragging on the cigarette for a long moment. "They know about the Old Man's family. Isshin is safe, I'm in the business, but you have three kids that are his grandchildren that Aizen obviously knows about now."

"Do you honestly think he'd make a move on them? In my Home?" Kisuke asked, worry starting to tinge his voice. "He's already destroyed the family, what purpose would it serve?"

"He wants to destroy the Old Man, Kisuke. Don't you see? First he completely degrades and humiliates his son and grandson, then what else? I doubt very much he's done. You know he holds a grudge because the Old Man opposed him. He's never forgiven him for turning on him and forcing him to accelerate his long term plan. Besides, you remember what his endgame was seventeen years ago. He wanted to oust the parliament and usurp the position of the emperor. He may be a figurehead these days, but Aizen was damn keen on bringing power back to the throne of the soul king. Even the 0 division was on alert back then after he managed to kill off three representatives," Kaien said, snuffing the cigarette. "Anyway, now you know everything we do, there's a division two unit in your area. I'd alert your Visored kids, and maybe keep a couple in house. And whatever you do, do not let my nieces or nephew out of your sight. I'll be coming by once Ichigo is recovered to introduce myself. Hopefully, I can offer him some new information at that time. Be safe, Captain Urahara."

"Ugh, I hate that name," Kisuke muttered. "Alright, I'll head back now. I left two of my boys with him while the others went to school."

Kaien excused himself and shortly thereafter Mayuri went back to work leaving Kisuke with his thoughts about the whole thing. Secrets and lies, why did there have to be so many secrets and lies? And what exactly was Aizen planning? Could he really still be working on the plan to take over the entire government? It seemed ridiculous…but he'd tried before, and then his only supporter had been the other traitor Tousen. And he still had been difficult to stop.

_-oooooo-Urahara Shoten – 9:30 am-oooooo-_

Shinji came in to the room to find Tessai still in the kitchen, Kensai trailing behind him. Kensai was tired, it seemed, and was non-committal. Shinji was enough of a talker for both of them, though. So Tessai chatted with Shinji while he fed them both breakfast, and Tessai did love to feed people food. Then he glanced over and smiled as they finished eating, Shinji huffing a sigh.

"Going to check on the new kid?" he asked.

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, may as well say hello," he said, nodding his head toward the door at Kensai.

"Yeah, yeah, don't know why you need me here," the silver haired man grumbled.

"Because, the kid needs to see different people," Shinji answered and together they knocked on the doorway lightly. There was no response, but they didn't expect one.

They entered to find the orange haired kid everyone had talked about the day before laying in the bed staring at the ceiling. He turned his dark brown eyes on the two new people and a scowl lined his brow. Shinji grinned and straddled a chair backward and put his chin on the back. Kensai sprawled in the larger chair in the corner.

"Hey, name's Shinji, and the lump over there is Kensai. How ya feelin' today?" Shinji asked, masking a yawn with his hand. Ichigo returned with a small shrug, eyeing the newcomers warily.

"Don't think he trusts ya much, Shin," Kensai said with his eyes closed.

Shinji rolled his own eyes. "Of course he doesn't, _baka_. He's never met us before. Now, ignore that. Kisuke had to go out for a bit so we get to babysit." Another deeper scowl lined the orange brows and Shinji giggled. "Yeah, I know. But hey, what else am I gonna do? You're my job after all." Again, a confused scowl. "I suppose I have to explain, ya? Well, see, I'm kinda the leader of these here Visored."

Kensai coughed "Hiyori" into his hand. Shinji growled. "Well, me and the shortstuff Hiyori, anyway. But anyway, we are eight in number and completely bad ass. Because Kisuke raised us all and shit. And the boss himself is pretty bad ass. I know, right? Doesn't look it, does he? With the stupid hat and clogs he wears all the time, right? Don't know how much you know, but I figured you'd do good to hear about some of our fucked up lives. And believe me, Kisuke gets the most fucked up cases in his house."

"That's great, Shinji, just start out with telling him that shit. He's gonna think we're all fucked up," Kensai said with a sigh.

"Well, we are, fuck, just tellin' him the truth. This bunch is so fucked up it isn't funny, my new bro. Kisuke likes to sugar coat our shit, ya know," he said smiling at the bemused look on Ichigo's face. "Anyway, no sugar here, love. Anyway, I was one of Kisuke's first, he still didn't know much about kids that were fucked up like me and Lisa was. Shit, I'm not even sure if we're the right age, you know? We were about five by Kisuke's estimates, though who the fuck knows. For all I know I could be two fuckin' years older or younger! We could hardly talk, and never gone to school. Me and her got used for drug transport by our folks. Well, actually we don't know for sure if they were our parents, that's messed up right?"

Ichigo was interested in the story, eyes following Shinji's face, and Shinji saw concern lining his face already. He was empathetic to others, even if he ignored his own pain, interesting. "Okay, well, the day shit went down we were sleeping, something rare, let me tell you, I remember being tired all the fucking time, and this huge explosion rocked the building. I remember that day like a freaking movie in my brain, not much before, but that day is seared into my memory. Anyway, so this explosion hits, and all this crap is raining down on us and we're locked up in the attic. We were filthy, I remember that, and there wasn't a bathroom up there, so we had to use a corner. Disgusting, really, when I think about it. Anyway, so me and Lisa we started crying and then this beam fell out of the ceiling and landed on Lisa's leg and she screamed bloody murder. I think that's when they heard us, otherwise it might have taken a while to get to the attic."

Ichigo was smiling at the animated way the boy was talking. Shinji noticed, of course, because Shinji was very good at noticing things. "So there's a hammering at the door, which of course was padlocked. Couldn't let us good drug mules get away. I remember they used to pack the drugs under our clothes. Funny, it was the only thing that made us look normal because we were so malnourished, it actually didn't look weird. But I was yelling, and trying to pull the beam off Lisa's leg. And man did I fuck up my hands, see, I still got the scars," he said holding up his palms so Ichigo could see the white lines running against the palm.

"So the door bursts open and I look up to see this dude, and man he scared the crap out of me. He was super tall, head of black spiked hair with bells on the ends, and an eyepatch. He was fucking _fierce_. Then around him pops this little woman, pink hair cut in a bob around her face and she came running over to us. The big guy, Kenpachi Zaraki if you ever meet him, he's captain of division eleven, combat squad, he picked up the beam like it weighed nothing, and the girl, Yachiru is her name, she's his lieutenant and we work with her now on division fourteen, but she talked to us and figured out we were both hurt, and she convinced us to leave, the big guy had to carry Lisa because her leg was broken. Kinda freaked her out at first but she seemed to take an instant liking to the big brute. He is pretty harmless, unless you're on the wrong side of him.

"But anywho, in the hospital this freak with a green and white hat shows up and talks to us and then before we know it, we're going to our new home with Kisuke," Shinji smiled at the thought.

"There we met Hachi. Hachi was eight and oh my lord, he looked like he'd been give less to eat than we had. Can't tell it now, he's all fluffy and round these days! It was messed up. Kisuke had found him locked in an attic like we were, but his was a case of druggie parents not wanting to deal with him, of course they beat the shit out of him too. But you know, that's what you get with druggies. Lisa and I were black and blue too, I guess, but I can't remember that part, we were just too young. But we found out real quick that the scars on the outside weren't the only ones we carried, and fuck, it took us years to get over them. I mean, Lisa wouldn't talk until she was nearly ten. And me, man, I just was a freaking hoarder. Because of the little we were fed, I used to hide food for me and Hachi, and it didn't matter how many times Kisuke and Yourichi fed us three meals a day plus snacks, I'd still hide food. I think I was eleven before I quit." Shinji grinned wide and ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Hachi didn't like to be around anyone who was female. Apparently it was his mom who beat the shit out of him on a regular basis, and his dad that would clean him up and patch his wounds. He trusted men, but not women. It was messed up, but he'd scream if anyone but Yourichi came around for about a year. Kisuke decided to homeschool us the first few years because of our issues with others. But then, we were all three so far behind in schooling it was ridiculous. But we caught up easily enough. I mean, we're smart after all, otherwise all of us woulda been dead. And then when we went to school, things really went crazy. Before long, we were joined with these idiots," he said, gesturing to Kensai. "We were nine when Kisuke came back with three disgusting looking brats that were eleven."

"Fuck you Shinji," Kensai said. "Of course we were fucking disgusting, we'd been living under a bridge for two weeks by ourselves. Wonder we weren't all dead."

Ichigo had turned his attention on Kensai now, a curious look on his face. He took in the man. He was big, broad with thickly muscled arms and chest. His hair was silver and cropped around his head. He wore simply jeans and a black t-shirt, but that made him look even more imposing.

Kensai shrugged. "What is this story time? Okay, anyway, me, Love and Rose were together when Kisuke found us. Well, it wasn't him specifically; it was that crazy ass ninja chick, Soi Fon or whatever her name is from division two. She was chasing some bastard under our bridge and the fat bastard Omeada ran right into us. Broke one of Love's fuckin' ribs when he fell on him. Anyway, she came running back after she'd lost the guy she was after and asked where our parents were. We didn't know, hell, I think at that point I was on something. So she curses under her breath and tells Omeada to make a Kiss Call. No idea what that was, but before long the crazy bastard in the white and green hat shows up, clicking in the damn geta he always wears. And you what is scary as fuck? The bastard runs just as well in those damn things as people in running shoes. I know, because my scrawny ass wanted nothing to do with him, like I said I think I was high on something, we never really knew what we threw in the barrel for the fire after all."

Kensai ran a hand through his silvery hair. "Fucker scruffed me like some sort of kitten and carried me back and tossed me into the van and we were taken to the nearest hospital. After a full once over, we were declared malnourished, dehydrated, and all three of us had lice and frostbite on our fingers."

"Fuck, I remember that," Shinji said, running hands through his hair and scratching at the memory. "I ended up with lice after he brought you home, so did Lisa and Hachi. Lisa was so pissed because Yourichi finally just shaved all our heads, and it took forever for her hair to grow back out! Though I think Rose was more pissed off at having his head shaved… Good thing we were all home schooling at the time!"

Both of them were laughing now and Ichigo found himself smiling. Here these two were, talking about childhoods that were quite frankly, much worse than his own had been, and they were happy, and laughing about it. Maybe he would get through all this…

"Okay, okay, yeah, that was funny shit. But anyway, then came the hard part, telling Kisuke what the hell happened to us. Turns out, us three aren't related in the least. We just all had the misfortune to have parents that frequented the same drug den, and usually that meant we were left to do whatever we wanted, so we ran the streets. Then one day, we came to the den to find it empty. Like fuckin' clean of everything and everybody. We were scared so when we saw the drug enforcement division we ran, found us a nice bridge and tried to keep ourselves alive. Obviously, we were failing miserably. Then we all had our own issues," He said thoughtfully, looking upward.

"Rose was worst off. His dad was a homophobe, and by the time Rose was six, he knew he was different, and by nine he understood he had no interest in girls, instead was interested in what girls were. He liked dolls, and told his dad that he wanted to be a mommy when he grew up. His dad proceeded to 'beat the gay' out of him until the day we hid under that bridge. Of course, it didn't matter. He was who he was, just like the rest of us. His father was a crack junkie, crack and meth. Love was simply ignored. His parents were opium addicts. Half the time he was high just from being around them. Made for some odd conversations. And me, I had the hooker mom who was doped up on whatever she got her hands on. She went to the den for her drugs and paid on her back or knees. So I guess me and that Toshiro kid should talk…"

"Toshiro?" Ichigo said, his voice scratchy and rough.

If they were surprised he spoke they didn't say it. "Yeah, your sister's boyfriend, the little white haired boy? His mom's a prostitute and he got locked out the other night and it was almost three when Hiyori found him," Shinji answered.

Ichigo nodded, picking at the IV in his arm. "How long?" he asked softly, frowning at it.

Shinji grinned. "Today, you're still on IV antibiotics and pain meds. Trust me; you don't want to go off that shit until you have to."

"Hiyori?" he asked, not recognizing the name. He'd said there were others.

"Oh yeah, she was after these three brats. Hiyori and Mashiro came together; they were ten and thirteen at the time. That was a hell of a bust for Shunsui, captain of the human trafficking division. They worked that ring for almost a year, and when they did, they found two girls in one of the brothels. Luckily, they were the only two kids in there. God, that was tough. Neither one of them would let anyone male near them for almost a month. Yourichi and Kisuke were the only two they'd really let help them with anything. Mashiro came around first, and then slowly Hiyori. Both had to be treated for several STDs, and they nearly took off the doctor's head when Yourichi got them to the hospital. Ended up sedating them for the process. But with time, and lots of fucking therapy, well, granted we all had a lot of that, both of them are the glittering personalities they are today," Shinji said with a wink.

"And now?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, now let's see, he's got Shiro and Grimmjow. Shiro came along five years after the rest of us were gone. Guess he got a nice break there, he needed it after us. Found Shiro locked in a basement, told he was a freak and disgusting, and covered in bruises and severely malnourished, ten I think he was. His parents were involved in an arms trafficking deal that got busted. Kid was messed up for the longest time. Now he's such a sassy bastard… And then Grimmjow, what was his deal?"

Kensai sighed. "Remember? That was the fucker who shot the kid, his wife, then himself, high as kite on meth. Grimmjow had hidden in the basement and got found when the cleanup went in. He was black and blue too, father was a right bastard when he was strung out. He was eleven and his brother that was killed was like seven or something."

"Oh yeah, then there's the two little ones, Jinta and Ururu. Another drug den, bust went bad, and everyone was killed, found them shut up with a few other kids down in the basement, but they were by far the worst looking, underweight and bruised up. And now we got your skinny ass, your cutie sisters, and Toshiro to go with them. So that's the run down on the Kiss Kids," Shinji said, finishing with a broad smile and wave of his hands. "Welcome to our fucked up world, Ichigo, we're all crazy but it is a fuckton of fun. We don't have anyone except each other. Seems like we're the only ones who understand one another. We all try, you know, to make friends, but it gets fucked up because no one gets us. Shit, just the other day, fuckin' Love walked up behind me when I wasn't looking and I fuckin' decked his ass. We ended up laughing our asses off because we know better. Guess you could say we're all a bit twitchy went it comes to people being near us. Fuck, I don't think any of us even _date_ outside our own group. Boss don't know though…he'd have a shit fit if he found out how many times his 'kids' had fucked each other over the years…but comfort is comfort right?"

Kensai snorted. "Shinji, you honestly don't think he doesn't know?"

Shinji shrugged. "Maybe, he don't say nothing, so whatever. That's our life in a nutshell, Berry-bro."

Ichigo found himself smiling again. He hadn't smiled this much in days. He felt comfortable with these two. He didn't even mind the odd little nickname he'd been saddled with and normally he abhorred anyone referencing the fact his name was a homonym for the word strawberry. Tessai brought him lunch, and then the two regaled him with stories of their misadventures, most of which were at Kisuke's expense. They threw in a few about Shiro and Grimmjow which had Ichigo laughing almost enough to spew milk out his nose. It seemed the newer kids were at the mercy of the older ones and they used their experience to their advantage. Before long, lunch was done and there was a knock on the door. Tessai stuck his head in.

"Ichigo, the Ishida boy is here to see you with a red head."

Ichigo's face twisted between happiness to sadness to fear. He swallowed looking around. "Hey," Shinji said, putting a hand on his shaking one. "They're your friends, right?"

Ichigo nodded. "But this…" he whispered.

"But this, nothing. This won't matter, and Kensai and me, we're right here. So if they get lippy, I'll kick them in the teeth, got it?" Shinji said, rubbing his hand kindly. Ichigo never let people touch him but somehow, knowing that Shinji's life had really been worse than his own made him feel less like he was the freak in the room. No, he felt…normal for once.

Ichigo finally nodded and looked up as the door opened to allow both Renji and Uryu to come in. Renji blinked and swallowed, glancing at Uryu who nodded at him. Ichigo had never seen Renji look so unsure of himself. He normally carried himself with a ton of confidence and swagger. However, he looked like a child in the middle of a room full of business men. Shinji looked them over.

"Ground rules," Shinji said, startling both the teens from their quiet thought. "Number one, you leave if he gets agitated. Number two, you leave if I tell you to do so. Number three, no more than two visitors at a time for now. Number four, don't touch him right now. And finally, number five, he's the same person he's always been, so don't treat him any fucking different."

Renji and Uryu both nodded at the blond. "I'm Shinji, this is Kensai, think of us as the new big brothers. We were raised here with Kisuke and the rest of the kids. We're a fucked up crew, and today I've been explaining to Ichigo here how fucked up we are. And I don't give a fuck if you believe it or not, but he isn't near as fucked up as we were. We just have the luxury of it having been enough time that we're not quite as fucked as we used to be. Now, we'll have a seat over there," he said, indicating the wall. "And you can visit until Berry-bro there decides he wants you to leave him alone. And no, there are no unsupervised visits, and every part of this place is under video surveillance."

Renji pulled a chair up beside Ichigo who was eyeing him warily. Uryu pulled up beside him with another. "So, yeah, the school's buzzing. You missing school doesn't happen much, but the news…"

Ichigo's brow furrowed, and Renji looked up at Shinji, the guy wasn't that much older than them but he seemed to know a lot. Shinji nodded. "Oh, I guess you didn't see the news, the whole arrest thing, yeah, the news got hold of yer dad being arrested. Seems him being the good doctor made it an interesting bit of news…"

Ichigo closed his eyes. "Everybody knows," he said softly, staring at his hands morosely. "You know."

Uryu nodded. "Yeah, well, it was impossible considering who your dad is to keep it quiet. The reactions have been…different. Half the people don't believe it, the other half think it sounds perfectly logical. And it doesn't matter that _we _know, Ichigo. But…there may be a bit of…backlash when you come back to school, though."

Ichigo nodded, his chest tightening. The thought of going back to school alone sent his heart rate up, setting the monitor on his chest to a quickened pace. Shinji looked up, seeing the changes. Panic attacks were quite familiar in this house. It was a long process of trying to find the triggers at first, and all of them were on alert for whatever they were.

"Oh, fuck, trigger, note it on the chart, Kensai, homeschool for sure for him," he said, jumping up and sitting on the bed while Uryu and Renji leaned back in their chairs, eyes wide at the sight. Ichigo was always so calm and collected, and barely belied any sign of emotion besides a scowl or a slight smile. He never really even laughed. The silver haired man picked up a clipboard from the small table by the bed and made notes.

Shinji grabbed both hands, and turned his head toward him. "Ichigo, you're having a panic attack. Now, look at my eyes," he said, and he started breathing in an exaggerated fashion. "Breathe in, there we are, breathe out, slowly. Keep your mind on me, on the present. Now, there we are," Shinji smiled looking to see the monitors returning to normal once again. "It would seem I'll be talking to Kisuke about homeschool for a the time being, huh? It's okay, we've all been there, and there's nothing wrong with asking for it. Remember? Lisa and I were homeschooled for several years, as a matter of fact, I don't think any of us went to a real school right away. Actually, Shiro and Grimmjow have only had a year of school so far that wasn't homeschooled."

"B-but…" Ichigo stammered. "I'm not a kid…" he whispered. "I'm too old for…"

Shinji glared at him. "It isn't a matter of age. I was five, Mashiro was thirteen. She was homeschooled through graduation because she couldn't be around men after how many times she was raped before we got her and Hiyori. She still doesn't like to be around men on a bad day, and guess what? She's a freaking lipstick lesbian these days. Her and Lisa, my Lisa, were together. Now, well, I'm not sure but I think all three girls are banging each other, but who knows with those three… Rose would know, he's always shopping for shoes with them. But shhh, Kisuke doesn't know yet. It was bad enough when I dated Hiyori. We broke the window when she threw me out of it. He didn't know about Rose and me dating for a few months last year either. We try to keep our love interests out of his hair, like I said. Besides, you haven't properly met Rose. Like I said, he's such a fem. I swear, he has better hair than most women I know. And now Lisa's got him dressing drag down at a club. Hate to say it but he looks hotter than most the women I know…"

The moment was broken by Uryu's annoyed voice. "Fuck it."

Ichigo looked over and saw him scowling at his phone. "Boyfriend?" he asked softly.

"Bastard blew me off, again. And he's not my boyfriend. We haven't even had a fucking date yet. We were supposed to go out tonight. I think he's leading me on," he said with a huff. "Stupid name anyway. Who has a name like Szayel? He's too old anyway," he said with a sigh.

"Wait, did you say Szayel?" Kensai said, frowning, looking up from the clipboard he was thumbing through. "Glasses? Pink hair? Complete fucking pervert?"

Uryu nodded, frowning because that certainly described him. "Why, you know him?"

Kensai and Shinji exchanged glances. Shinji shook his head and sighed, rubbing a hand on his forehead. "Ah, fuck, this is fucking bad. Really fucking bad…"

"What is it?" Uryu said, glancing at the text he'd just gotten again. _Sorry, love, busy. Work stuff, you know. Reschedule?_

"How much does he know about you?" Shinji asked. "I mean, of course he knows your name? And how'd you meet up with him?"

Uryu shook his head. "I…um…two weeks ago I was at the library and he came up and asked me some questions about my book. We ended up talking a while then he gave me his number and said he'd like to hook up sometime." He smiled absently at the thought.

_Uryu thumbed through the book on astrophysics. Dull, he thought to himself. He already knew half of the stuff in the book. He put it back and tugged another one off the shelf. A book on particle accelerators and their function and construction. That could make for an interesting read. He wasn't particularly good at the mechanical stuff, but the stuff on the effects would be fun to read about. _

_He'd just sat down when he felt someone walk past him behind then slide into the seat beside him. He turned with a start to see a man with cotton candy pink hair and a grin. He was wearing a white suit with a bright purple tie. _

_"Can I help you?" Uryu asked._

_"Maybe, your book looks interesting, you a little young to be reading that, aren't you?" the man said with a saucy wink. Was he flirting with him? Uryu felt a blush creep up his face._

_"I'm not that young, and I'm incredibly smart, so I'm reading for pure pleasure." Uryu regretted his phrasing the moment it left his lips._

_"Um, pleasure, huh?" the man leaned closer into his personal space, and Uryu watched his tongue flick out and wet his lips and wondered what those lips tasted like. _

_Uryu cleared his throat and leaned back. "Yeah. I…I like reading science stuff I don't get in school."_

_"That a fact? I'm a scientist you know," he said with a grin that looked more like a leer. "And the name's Szayel. And I'd _love_ to get to know you better, sweetie. It is fucking hot to see a tasty thing like you reading something like that. Can you imagine? I'm hard just thinking about it," he said, and Uryu realized that his hand was on his crotch, palming an impressive erection. In the middle of a library._

_"I'm Uryu," he said, his mouth extremely dry as the pink-haired man leaned over and breathed a hot breath into his ear, sending shivers down his spine._

_He smiled and whispered. "I like it. Give me your phone," he said._

_Mechanically and more than a little shaken, he handed his phone over. Szayel leaned back and tapped a bit and handed it back. "Text me. Maybe we can get together. I haven't had a sexy boy fuck me in a long time, and you fit the bill. Sexy as sin, and smart as I am. That's something I can get off on, lover."_

_Then he was gone, leaving Uryu to wonder if it had even happened. The next day he texted him and got an equally perverted response and then the chain of broken dates and meetings started. It was always an excuse over "work" that he couldn't make it._

"Since then, every time I schedule a time, he blows me off…" he said, letting his mind return to the present.

"Shit, shit, shit," Shinji muttered, pulling out his phone and texting quickly. "Okay, damage control, damage control, Kensai, call the others, get them here now, we've got a major situation. Fucking Aizen, man, what the hell is he doing? Oh…fuck me sideways…" Shinji said, looking up.

Kensai arched a brow at him. "What now?"

"Kisuke already knows. Not about Szayel specifically but he knows that Aizen's involved in this mess. Said he had something to do with Ichigo's dad and what happened…I don't know, he's being vague on purpose. Something about…ah nah…really?" he said with a sigh, and looked to Uryu.

"The fuck is your last name?" he asked suddenly.

"Ishida," Uryu answered, looking really, really confused still.

"Fuck, goddamned Quincy line. And your mother was an Ishida?" he directed it to Ichigo who nodded. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he changed, clicking through the texting again. "And fuck me again, Ichigo's a Shiba too, his fucking father's really Kaien's brother. Fucking hell. This just gets better and better."

"What?" Kensai said, turning around. "That's why Aizen's after them both…shit, this is bad, when's Kisuke getting back?"

"Nemu's driving, so less than an hour. How soon can the others get here?" he asked.

"Furthest out if Mashiro, she's at least an hour and a half. The rest should be here in the next half an hour…"

Ichigo was watching the whole scene and finally he closed his eyes and said as loud as he could, "What the fuck is going on?"

Everyone stopped and stared. That was the loudest the boy had spoken since they brought him in. Shinji grinned. "Look who has a voice after all. I knew we'd irritate you into using it."

"Come on, this is crazy, can you guys fill us in?" Renji asked, thus far he'd been silent since the panic attack.

Shinji sighed. "We're having a full meeting, calling in all counts, maybe a couple captains if Kisuke can get them here, and maybe the Old Man. But definitely a few important ones. The short of it is this, Aizen is a dude that used to work with Kisuke, he turned bad seventeen years ago, went and started a gang named the Espada. They basically run the underworld in this country. We, the Shinigami, are trying to put him out of business. He took over for a man from the line of the Quincy. That, Uryu, was your relative. He filled a vacancy after the Shinigami took out most of the Quincy family who ran the underworld. Goes to show you should stick to the devil you know rather than the one you don't. But anyway, looks like you two are both targets now. So yeah."

A silence descended as everyone simply contemplated what was going on. Ichigo shook his head and laid back gently on the pillow, his eyes starting to tear up, the stress getting to him. Shinji noticed, and nodded to Kensai, who got up and grabbed Renji and Uryu by the arm and led them to the tea room where the meeting would be held. Too shocked by the whole situation, they didn't protest. Shinji sat down beside him and put an arm around him.

"Look, you're officially my little brother now, kid, so let me have it, I see it, the look, the pain and the need to let everything go. Been there, done that more times than my manhood wants to let me admit," he said, softly, pulling the younger boy under his arm tighter and let him cry out the stress that had built up after everything that was said.

He sobbed and whispered. "I'm broken, how…how…"

"You aren't too broken for us, strawberry. Not at all. We specialize in broken around here, and patching up is what we do best."


	5. Chapter 5: Under the WIngs

**Sins of the Father**

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_A/N: So, this chapter is a little rushed. I wanted to get through the plot for the first five chapters (first half) and then I'll be editing and fluffing things up. Please let me know if there is an area you would like to see more details about or anything I've skipped that you want to know more about. Always willing to alter according to desires! I mean, this was a fic request after all!_

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**Chapter Five**

_Under the Wings of Brotherhood_

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Kensai sat both the boys down at the tea table. "Stay put, okay? Shinji's going to deal with your friend for a bit. Best you let him be to work through the worst of this. He's gotta cry, scream, all that, but he won't do it around you because you're his friends and he's embarrassed by the weakness he's showing in front of you. Us, we're different. We've been as low as he is, all in different ways, and we understand it, and we're brothers now, because we're all Kiss Kids now."

Renji and Uryu nodded. This guy was imposing. Shinji was more…comfortable. Uryu found himself staring at the phone messages from Szayel. Sure he was older, he'd told the others he was a couple years, but that wasn't true. Szayel had to be in his late twenties…at least ten years older than Uryu. So…well, maybe it wasn't such a good idea. But why would he put these people into a complete panic. He looked at Renji.

"It's crazy around here," he said with a grin, trying to diffuse the tension.

Renji nodded. "Yeah, I shoulda brought Rukia with me…"

A short woman came in with pigtails. "The fuck are you and where the fuck is fucking goddamned Shinji?"

Uryu and Renji exchanged looks. "W-with Ichigo…"

She suddenly relaxed. "Oh, he's actually doing something productive. Good."

"Hiyori, stop bellowing," came another female voice, and a girl with long black pigtails came in. "I won't let you pick tonight, if you aren't careful."

Hiyori crossed her arms. "Fuck you, Lisa."

"I plan to be the one doing the fucking, thank you," she said, holding up a Yaoi manga with a bound and gagged boy being whipped by a leather clad one, and walked away.

Hiyori shook her head. "She gets so pissy when she goes without sex for a few days," she said and shrugged, flopping down to the floor right next to Renji. "So who are you two? Don't tell me we got more fucking kids."

"Um, Uryu Ishida, and this is Renji Abarai, we're Ichigo's friends…" Uryu said slowly.

She nodded. "Ah, his 'before' friends. You planning on sticking with him through this shit? Because let me tell you fuckers one thing, if you aren't gonna be around for the tough shit, get the fuck out. We don't need anyone around who isn't in it for the long run. And yes I'm being a fucking bitch and I haven't really met him, well not conscious, but my ass was driving when the boss picked up the bloody mess that he was when we brought him in. But he's one of us now. Our family."

"Shinji sort of said as much," Uryu said softly.

She nodded. "Good, at least half his fuckin' brain is working today. You seen any of the captains form the other divisions?"

"No, you and Lisa are the first to come through. What's going on? And what captains, this is all so confusing…" Renji said, rubbing a hand through his red hair.

"Moving to the basement, more room. Kisuke got a huge room down there he dug out underneath before we moved in. Sort of a conference room sort of thing. You going down, or you staying up here? Tessai will stay with Ichi. He'll have a live feed of the meeting," she said standing up and popping her back loudly.

She headed out and Renji followed with Uryu directly behind. They walked down a ladder that led into a rather spacious basement level. The room was huge with a kitchen on one end and a door to a bath on the other. Several futons sat around the large room, and there was a huge table and chairs in the middle. Renji and Uryu headed for a futon and sat down to wait. It wasn't long before a swirl of green came in and the clip-clopping of the geta on the hardwood floor.

Kisuke looked around. "Everyone! Who are we missing from Visored?"

"Mashiro, Love, Rose, and Shinji. But Shinji's upstairs with the new kid," Hiyori called. "Hachi's upstairs but he'll be down in a sec. Lisa and I are over here, and Kensai is back there getting water."

"Good, good. Divisions present?" he asked.

Yourichi came down through the doorway then. "Kisuke, we've got Byakuya, Kenpachi, Jushiro, and Shusui who came. They left the lieutenants in charge. Kaien is tied up. The Old Man is on his way for this one, too. Nemu is staying for the Kurotsukis. Kira and Hisagi are here from their divisions. Soi Fon is in the field, so she'll have to be filled in later. Iba is here for his squad. I made him leave his dog outside in the side yard, though. I don't want to be licked to death today."

Kisuke nodded. "Show them down. We've got a lot to talk about. We'll wait for the Old Man before we start."

Before long, the room was filling up with people. All were striking. Renji blinked. "Oh, my god," he whispered to Uryu. "That's Rukia's brother…" he said quietly, pointing to a tall dark haired man with a tailored black suit. He turned and laid eyes on Renji and moved forward.

"Mr. Abarai," he said, looking him and Uryu over. "I was not expecting to find you here, most especially without my sister."

"Um, yeah, Ichigo, he's my best friend, so I came to help him if I could," he said softly. To be honest, Rukia's brother fascinated him and he always wanted to talk to him, but he was so damn imposing…

"Oh, yes, the new kid for Kisuke. Quite a noble act to want to help him in his situation. Interesting. I have a feeling we'll get a bit more information today about his complicated situation, now if you'll excuse me," he said, drifting over to take a seat at the table.

Soon, everyone stood as a positively ancient man came down and sat at the head of the table. A long beard graced his face and long white hair bore the age that lay beneath. He wore a tailored suit that showed that he was not soft in his old age. Hard, lean muscle stood out taunt underneath the fabric. He wore a katana on his hip. Everyone bowed to him and he motioned for everyone to sit down. The futons were empty save Renji and Uryu, but the rest were all members of this Shinigami association.

"Kaien will be attending. I felt it necessary," the Old Man said, leaning back. After a few moments a dark haired man rushed in and had a seat. Renji thought he looked awfully familiar.

Kisuke stood up. "I'll start, since I called this impromptu meeting. I apologize for the short notice, but I felt this of the upmost importance, since it involves the Old Man rather…directly. Now, for those that haven't heard yet, I took in four kids this week. One boy is unconnected to the others, but he was what led us to finding them. Hiyori picked up Toshiro in the school soccer field, where he got a panicked text from Karin Kurosaki saying she needed to be picked up, that they'd run away from home. Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki were picked up at approximately three fifteen in the morning. When they returned here, between them explained what had happened. Their father had come home drunk, proceeded to beat and rape their older brother, and then stumbled out in a daze and was sick. They left immediately. Ichigo ran at that point, and we recovered him not far from here. The medical files are in the folders if you wish to read them. There were some strange things about the attack, namely that Isshin Kurosaki appeared to not realize who his son was, and was dazed and ill afterward. At first, I put this off to shock and realization of what he'd done. It turns out, Mayuri had some startling findings when working over the rape kit we sent as evidence. The police have one; we secured a second for just this purpose."

Kisuke reached behind him and passed a stack of papers to his right. "What you have there is a chemical formulation of a drug called Triptych. Triptych is a new wave of what could be considered 'date rape' drugs, invented and manufactured by our favorite Espada researcher, Szayelporro Ganz. This drug has three results. It induces a state of high suggestibility, the occurrence of hallucinations, and in men induces a high state of arousal. A person under the influence of this drug can be fed information that they can then act upon, possibly seeing the hallucinations that were suggested by those around the person who ingested it. This drug, while gone from the blood samples we took from Isshin the next day, was present in the semen samples collected when we got the boy here and stitched up."

"You mean he was drugged? And made to do…that?" a man with long white hair dressed in a pastel shirt said softly. "I…oh dear."

Kisuke nodded. "I'm sorry, Jushiro. I know that you don't like the idea of Aizen being involved, but… The bartender confirms that Isshin was there and talking to a tall, dark skinned man with a bald head. Security footage, though grainy, shows our favorite drug distributing Espada, Zommari, speaking with and possibly dosing Isshin's drink. He is seen talking to him for some time afterward, and the he leaves. The time tables match for the drug to have been wearing off after the attack on his son, and shifting into the secondary stage, severe nausea and headache, followed by loss of consciousness."

"I still am not sure what this has to do with the Old Man?" asked a man with a bright pink kimono draped around his shoulders over a white three piece suit.

The Old Man stood. "I will take it from here, Captain Urahara." Everyone seemed to straighten and listened with rapt attention. "There is a truth long hidden, and that is the fact that Kaien Shiba," he said, indicating the dark haired man who sat on his right. "Kaien is my youngest son. Isshin Kurosaki is my eldest son."

Silence fell on the room so heavily that it seemed for a moment no one could even breathe. The Old Man continued. "I gave them my late wife's last name so they might be free to choose the lives they would lead freely. Isshin, though, decided to remove himself completely and sever ties by marrying Masaki Ishida, one of the last in the old line of the Quincy."

Kaien stood and now Renji realized it. He looked a lot like Ichigo. His face, it was almost identical. "My brother is not without fault," he said. "I've investigated and found that while he may not be held completely accountable for my nephew's current state, he is guilty of abusing him for the last six years as some sort of misplaced blame for Masaki's death. In the investigation, we came across the fact that her death was not a mere mugging gone wrong. She and Ichigo were to be killed by Aizen's order, but the assassin was killed when Ichigo lived through the ordeal."

He sat down and there were a few murmured conversations. Shinji entered just at that moment. He held up his hands. "Sorry, I waited for a break before I came down, was watching with Tessai upstairs in Ichi's room. He's sleeping at the moment, second break down, good news that, but perhaps more disturbing is that Uryu over here was approached by Szayel."

Uryu felt all eyes on him. He stood slowly. "Um, yes, I'm sorry, I'm Uryu Ishida, so…"

Again a murmured response. "Go on, tell them about Szayel, please," Shinji urged.

Uryu swallowed. It was a bit like being called on before a judge and jury. "Uh, yes, Szayel approached me in the library a few weeks ago, we spoke about books for a while, then he gave me his number and said he wished to arrange a date in the future. We spoke via text since then, all attempts to actually arrange a time to meet failed though; he'd excuse himself from for various reasons. Work related. I…I didn't tell him anything overly personal, but he did know my name, of course." Uryu sat down, having said the whole thing and hoped they wouldn't ask more questions.

The Old Man coughed and attention turned back. "It is obvious; somehow information has gotten out about the connection between the Kurosakis, Shibas, and the Ishidas. There is little doubt that all three families are in direct danger from Aizen and the Espada. I am invoking a level one threat status as of today. All operations that are not directly related to Aizen are to be put on hold. All children's homes are to be set up with guards. This home will have at least one captain present at a given time other that Captain Urahara, and preferably two to five other agents, most likely the Visored are the best choice for those positions. I will require each captain to spend a turn here, as well as each lieutenant. The captain and lieutenant form each division will not attend together. A captain from one division and lieutenant from another. There are twelve of you, each one taking a twenty four hour period should handle the load nicely."

He turned to Uryu. "Uryu Ishida, I would request that you remain housed here for the time being. I will speak with Ryuken myself. Are there any of your friends who may also be in danger by association with my grandson?"

Uryu stood again. "I'm not sure, but our circle of friends includes Renji here, Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Arisawa Tatsuki, Yatsudora Sado, and myself. If you believe someone would hurt those closest to Ichigo…those are who are constantly around him. Oh, and of course Grimmjow and Shiro now…"

"Very well, thank you, Uryu. Kisuke, I suggest you contact them and consider offering them lodging within the home for the time being. It may be being overly cautious, but we know that Aizen will destroy everything he can," the Old Man said with a curt nod. "I leave the rest to you, Kisuke. I…think I will look in on my grandchildren before I leave."

Kaien stood and bowed. "I as well," he said and followed the Old Man.

They went into the room where Ichigo slept. Kaien was taken aback by him. He'd inherited a lot of the Shiba. He slept peacefully, but the dried tear tracks on his face were apparent. Kaien watched as the stern Old Man softened, and brushed back the orange hair from the young boy's forehead. He smiled at him then turned and left. Kaien followed and they went into a large study where the younger kids lounged around reading. Karin and Yuzu looked up.

"Old Man!" called Grimmjow who emerged from the back where he'd been watching the meeting with Shiro. "What are you doing up here?"

"I came to introduce myself to my granddaughters. And introduce their uncle."

Grimmjow grinned, the shock having faded since he'd watched the revelation. "Yo, Karin, Yuzu, come meet someone."

The two girls came up and looked at both of them. Karin's eyes narrowed on Kaien. "Hey, you look…"

"Like your brother?" he finished, smiling warmly. "I should. I'm your father's little brother, Kaien Shiba. And this is your grandfather."

Both girls were shocked of course, but after a few minutes explaining the situation, both of them understood. Then asked what happened now, since they'd thought they had no other family. Kaien and the Old Man agreed that they should stay put and those would be discussions for when the danger to them passed. Each were given a tentative hug by the girls, and the two men left. Karin stared at Grimmjow.

"The fuck am I supposed to do now?" she asked, sighing. "I have an uncle and grandfather, and my last name is even a lie…"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Sweetie, half the kids that have been here don't know what their real last name was supposed to be, Kisuke just made one up when he had to do so for records. Names mean nothing. You are who you are, what does it matter what your name is?" he asked, and headed back to watch the rest of the meeting from the office next to the study.

Byakuya was in the middle of a discussion with Kenpachi when Grimmjow sat down beside Shiro again. He quirked an eyebrow and Shiro shushed him.

"Zaraki, we cannot just run in there and take your entire division and kill everyone. It won't work, you idiot," Byakuya said, throwing hands up at the larger man.

Kenpachi rolled his eyes at the more refined man. Where Byakuya was formal, Kenpachi was anything but. He wore faded and ripped jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt. He had his feet propped up on the table, leaning precariously back in his chair, and glaring at his conversation partner.

"Why the hell not?" he asked, getting an exasperated sigh from everyone. Kenpachi's solution to everything was go in, kill them and be done with it. Granted, it worked at times.

Kisuke held up hands. "Wait, before everyone gets going, let's think about a few things. We all know Aizen and his penchant for thinking four or five moves ahead, and that's what we need to do right now. What is his endgame? Anyone have thoughts?"

There was a moment of quiet murmuring before Renji finally stood. "Um, I know I'm not a part of this group, but I was thinking I could offer some thoughts, maybe from someone on the outside?"

Everyone stared at him and Kisuke got a wide grin on his face. "Yes, of course, Renji. Fresh ideas make our organization what it is." Potential. He was strong willed, obviously protective and open minded. Even confused by everything his mind was working.

Renji stepped forward from the safety of the futon and cleared his throat. His mind had been working on the problem ever since he'd heard the particulars.

"It seems to me that this Aizen guy wants to destroy the Old Man and the entire organization of the Shinigami. He started his attack by completely destroying Dr. Kurosaki's reputation and ensuring a death sentence from the Old Man for what he did to Ichigo, thereby forcing him to murder his own son and be left with a grandson that was broken by what happened. Not that I believe he would be successful with breaking Ichi, but that's obviously his intention, because he tried to kill him once before. So he makes the Old Man make an impossible choice. But that can't be all, right? I mean, why start this without finishing it? He's discredited and humiliated and destroyed the Old Man's family, thus weakening his thinking and coping ability because he knows that he has a soft spot for his family. If he didn't, he wouldn't have protected them and distanced himself so they could have a normal life here in Karakura without the Shinigami influence. He's chosen a weak point to attack. Where are the rest of the weak points?" Renji said, looking around.

Kisuke looked thoughtful. "Family is the weakest point in anyone's armor. However, Isshin has not been killed, and his plan has backfired. He'll settle into contingency plans. The Old Man isn't off his game that much yet. Unsettled, no doubt, but not enough to impinge on his ability to run the Shinigami."

"The answer is to continue the same assault," Uryu supplied. "That's why Szayel was trying to get in with our group. If he became ingrained in the inner circle of friends, even by a weird sort of proxy through me, even through text only, he became privy to where we were and what we were doing. Even making plans with him gave him information of when I was not with the others…oh…oh, they're in danger…" Uryu said, suddenly realizing the reason behind it. "This Aizen sent Szayel because he fits my 'type'…how long has he been watching me? I mean, I haven't dated in a while, but he definitely fits my type, older, tall, thin, smart…smarter mouth…oh this can't be good."

Uryu did not miss the look Shinji shot him and the quirked eyebrow. He hid a smirk. Oh yes, Shinji was definitely his type. Even more than Szayel.

Kisuke nodded and looked at the teams. "I want someone on each of the people Uryu mentioned earlier. Bring them back here. Give their parents some story that it has to do with Ichigo's case and they're being sequestered by the National Agency under my authority. Give them the official number. Visored, stay here, the rest of you, go, group together, anything, get those kids here yesterday. Byakuya, go pick up your sister, please, if she's anything like you, I don't want someone else spending an hour arguing with her."

There was no argument, even from the other captains. Even though they were the same rank, inside this house, and when dealing with kids, Kisuke was the one who ran things. There was little doubt in any mind that they would do what was requested. Kids meant leverage. Aizen knew that they were one thing that the Shinigami would not sacrifice. They would meet almost any demand to rescue kids from danger. The evidence of that was in the creation of the massive child protection division that basically ran all foster care and orphanages in the entire country through the single organization. The more 'normal' foster homes and orphanages were run by more mundane individuals, but in the end, Kisuke could step into any of them should he need to do so.

"Now, Visored, the question now is how much of this house is at risk?" Kisuke asked, standing to pace, causing a clip-clop patter to echo around the wide room as he walked.

Shinji shook his head. "We've got cameras on every aspect, accessible from the panic room down here, the main office upstairs, the kitchen, and the secondary office on the second floor. Alarms were activated as soon as the meeting was arranged, and the kids are all sequestered upstairs in the main study or the main office, except Ichigo, who Tessai is sitting with in his room. Either way, all are supervised and it would trip every alarm if anyone tried to enter."

Kisuke paused. "The danger point is when the alarms are deactivated, meaning when the teams return with those kids, and it is getting late in the evening, making the cameras far less effective on the outside."

Hiyori frowned. "But if the teams are returning, we have the captains here, and they are formidable, someone would be crazy to attack when they're coming into the building."

"Yes, but don't you see, you forget who they have on their side," Kisuke said with a sigh.

It was Shinji that answered, dropping into his chair with a huff. "Cifer and Barragan's cronies. Even just one of them is bad, but if they send Cifer himself…"

Kisuke nodded. "Exactly."

"Who's this Cifer?" asked Renji who had resumed his place on the futon.

"Fourth Espada," Lisa said, never looking up from her yaoi manga. "He _is_ the assassination division. Completely emotionless and cold. He does as he's ordered with no question. And he's one sneaky fucking bastard. After too many failed attempts by the division, Ulquiorra Cifer decided that there was no need for other people in his division so he conducts all assassinations for Aizen himself. He personally enjoys it a great deal," she concluded.

Kensai spoke up for the first time in the meeting. "If he gets involved, we're going to have problems. Any one of Barragan's men could take apart our entire alarm system and neutralize the cameras, but Cifer…he could get in and get out without any of us knowing."

Grimmjow heard the first group return, and went into the entry to greet them. Kenpachi was coming in with Iba and a very confused looking Orihime. He waved and smiled at her.

"Come with me to the back, we're waiting on the others, then I'm sure we'll explain everything," he said, leading her back, deflecting half formed questions.

A few moments later, Byakuya returned leading Rukia. Grimmjow smiled at her. "Renji's down in the basement with Uryu already, Rukia, come on back with Orihime. Waiting on Arisawa and Sado."

Rukia looked at her brother. "Nii-sama, what is this about?" she asked.

Byakuya sighed. "All will be explained soon enough. Go with your friends, I'll send Renji up from the basement, if he's interested in coming, he's been useful thus far, however."

He moved down to the basement and told the red head that Rukia was there. He looked thoughtful and nodded. "I'm glad she's safe, then, but I'd rather stay here and help if I can."

Byakuya nodded, curiosity piqued and looked at Kisuke, who smiled. "Renji has some keen skills, he's been offering some useful observations, along with Uryu here. I wonder…perhaps he would be worthy of filling a certain vacant position…"

"A little young, isn't he?" he asked, looking at the confused red headed boy.

Kisuke shrugged. "I seem to remember you were sixteen when you joined the Shinigami."

Before long the meeting room had resumed most of the original occupants, the only ones missing were Shuhei and Kira who had gone to pick up Sado. They'd reported in that he was playing in a band with a nearby club and it was taking a bit to get to him. Kisuke hoped they didn't get distracted because they were two of the younger members of the Shinigami. Until they returned, everyone settled back into the discussion of what Aizen's endgame could be.

Upstairs, Grimmjow and Shiro had settled into the futons with confused Orihime, Tatsuki, and Rukia.

"So, had no idea you were a Kuchiki, Rukia, and that Byakuya was your big bro," Shiro commented.

She frowned. "Yeah, I mean, I still don't get what this has to do with him. He's an outreach educator. He goes and does speeches at schools and businesses…"

Grimmjow grinned. "You don't know everything he does, do you? See 'outreach' and 'education' has a couple meanings in the ranks of the Shinigami. He also specializes in occasional interrogation of subjects, the not so nice variety of outreach."

She sat open mouthed for a moment. "You mean, like torture?"

"Oh yes, Rukia, and he's very good," Grimmjow supplied, looking at the monitor where her brother was talking about possible solutions and arguing now and then with Kenpachi about his methods. They caught a snippet of the conversation…

"You and your kill everyone approach, Zaraki. Give me one of Barragan's men and fifteen minutes, and you'll have more than you would have by putting a knife through his guts," Byakuya said with a huff.

"Fuck that, Kuchiki," the eyepatched man said. "If I gut them, they can't come back and bite us in the ass. Your way has a chance of them escaping."

"But I'd have information that might save the lives of those kids upstairs, including my sister!" he exclaimed, slamming one fist into the table.

Rukia looked at Grimmjow and Shiro. It seemed they were more than truthful. "Wow, I just…how do I handle finding out that he isn't exactly what I thought?"

Shiro shrugged. "Still your big bro. Oi, you two, quit snogging, if I'm not allowed to snog Grimmy senseless, neither are you two allowed to snog each other senseless, dammit," Shiro yelled at Orihime and Arisawa who had just settled into what they thought was a quiet corner for a little stress relief, both looked up red-faced.

Rukia arched a brow. "Wait, you two?"

Shiro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so?"

"But aren't you like brothers?" she asked, frowning deeply.

Grimmjow laughed. "You realize we're foster kids, right? No family, and far from actually related. Besides, we're not exclusive at the moment. Don't plan to be."

"I just…oh my, the girls are going to be so depressed," she said, eyeing both of them, but moreso Grimmjow.

Grimmjow smiled at her wolfishly. "Hon, I play both sides, so if any of them want to try and get into these pants, they're welcome to it. Besides, Shiro and I are very generous and like to share."

Rukia flushed a bit and they began to talk about school and what was going on. Eventually things seemed to be relatively calm. Shiro looked at Grimmjow. "Wanna go check on Ichi?"

He nodded in return and they left the others to speak among themselves. Shiro knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," came Tessai's voice.

Shiro went in and smiled at the big man and Ichigo, who he noticed was awake now. "Big guy, wanna take a break? Me and Grimmy will sit with our new bro for a bit."

Tessai nodded. "Sure, I'll go start a hot pot so everyone can get something to eat, then, be back when its done, boys."

Grimmjow flopped down in the comfortable chair Tessai vacated and Shiro dropped to the bed beside Ichigo getting a confused glance.

"What?" Shiro asked, quirking a white brow at him.

Ichigo didn't move but shrugged. "How ya feelin? Still got you on morphin? Enjoy it while it lasts, dude," he said with a grin.

Grimmjow snorted. "You'd be a fuckin' druggie if you were allowed, Shiro."

Shiro grinned. "When you spend the first ten years of your life locked in a fuckin' basement, you tend to enjoy the pleasures of life afterward."

Ichigo turned and frowned at him, worry creasing his forehead. "Ah, don' worry about me, Ichi. I'm over mosta that shit, but I did want to let you know that I get what the fuck yer goin through, both us do. I mean, shit, Ichi. I don't even _know_ what happened to me for most of my early years. I remember a haze of pain and fear, and that's about it. I had a mantra in my head ya know. That I was ugly, a freak, worthless, a demon even, because of the eyes. But when I got out, Kisuke was good. And he took his time. And eventually I talked to him, and it took a fucking long time but I finally figured out I wasn't any of those things. I know what your sister told us. The shit yer dad was sayin' to you, and if it was bad what they heard, I can' imagine what they didn't hear, am I right?"

Ichigo bit his lip and nodded. "My name…Mom told me it means one who protects," Ichigo said softly. "And I couldn't protect her…"

Shiro reached over and took his hand, folding it into his pale white one. "Nine years old aren't the best people to protect their moms from gunmen, ya know," he said and looked to Grimmjow.

"I know how it feels, Ichi, to not protect them," he said quietly, getting up and sitting on the opposite side of the bed. "I fuckin' hated my dad. He beat the shit out of me, my little brother and my mom. And I was elven years old the night he came home so fuckin' high that he didn't realize where he was, let alone who we were. My brother, Jackson was his name, and me, we were sitting in front of the TV. I remember I was nursing a broken rib from the last weekend and was fuckin' miserable, so when he came in I didn't move. Next thing I know he's screaming at Ma and Jackson is trying to get me up so we can go lock ourselves in the basement until he's done with whatever drug induced fury he's in. Then, we heard the gunshot. We froze, the door to the basement open, and Jackson looked at me, and pushed me inside, locking it behind me."

Grimmjow stopped, rubbing away a couple tears that came to his eyes with the memories. "I was the big brother, you know? I should have protected him. But no, he put himself between me and Pa. And without a second thought. The second shot went through the door right in front of me. Jackson was standing there, barring the way between him and me. Then I heard Pa, he was laughing like a maniac and there was a third shot and it was quiet for a long time. I just sat there on the landing by the doorway, watching blood pool under the crack. I think it was about four hours later when the door opened and I was looking up at a guy with silver hair and bright blue eyes."

Shiro reached over and gripped one of Grimmjow's hands across Ichigo's body, and Ichigo found him own hand entangled in Grimmjow's other hand. The comfort they gave him was so weird. People that understood him. They understood, and Ichigo thought no one would ever understand him. Shinji, Kensai, all of them. He felt the tears again, but this time he wasn't embarrassed. Was it true that he wasn't so broken he couldn't be fixed?

"Why didn't you tell anyone, anyway?" Shiro asked, squeezing his hand. "I was locked up, and Grimmjow was too young to understand. But why did you hide it for so long? You had to know that you could get help and stop what he was doing."

Ichigo gave him a wan smile. "Karin and Yuzu. I…I was afraid that if I told someone…they'd lose him…or if I fought back…that he might hurt them. He…he never said he would, but I couldn't…couldn't take the chance. I couldn't protect her, so I had to keep my sister's safe. And…and part of that was not letting them find out what was happening. They loved him. I…I didn't want to take that away after mom…and it happened anyway."

Shiro felt his heart clench and before he thought, he'd let go of the two hands and grabbed Ichigo into a tight hug. "Oh, you beautiful thing you. Everything…you give up yourself for everyone."

Ichigo was so confused at his words. But he felt the tears coming again, and just sighed and let them. He figured out he couldn't stop them. His body was obviously not listening to his mind when it came to these things. And after all, if he cried here, then Yuzu and Karin wouldn't know. And that was so important. He already appeared so weak to his siblings. He didn't want to appear even more so because he couldn't control the constant tears that wanted to fall. He ached so deeply it made him wonder if it would ever go away. Shiro was humming then, and he felt Grimmjow move closer and sit on his other side. It was a good thing the bed was a double…

"You know, tears are okay," Grimmjow said, putting his arm around Ichigo's back. "It means your heart is still beating in there, and it means you'll heal. And you will. Shiro and me, Shinji, the rest of them, Kisuke, we're here. And you know what? Your other friends are here too. All of them, to keep them safe, and they're here for you. They want to be here. And they're worried about you. So you don't have to be strong in front of them anymore. You've been strong a long time, Ichigo. Time to let someone else be strong instead, time to let someone protect you for a change."

It took a while, but the two boys saw with satisfaction he'd fallen asleep between them, Shiro's shirt still damp. Tessai came in then and smiled.

"Dinner's up," he said, sitting in the large chair in the corner by the window. "You guys serve the kids first, then call up the rest from downstairs. You guys get cleanup."

They both groaned but extracted themselves, and adjusted the covers and pillows for Ichigo, leaving quietly and going about dinner business. Shiro wondered if he could bribe Jinta into doing the dishes tonight…

There was no school the next day, and night was in full swing. The clock told them it was well after midnight when there was a massive explosion that shook the room, sending books flying. Luckily, the younger ones had all been sent to be already, leaving the older teens to talk and wait out the meeting.

"The fuck," Grimmjow said, jumping up after he'd been knocked to the floor, then all the lights went out, throwing the world into pitch black.

"Shit," Shiro said. "Remember what they said about making a move on the house, everyone fucking downstairs," he announced as Jinta and Ururu came skidding into the doorway.

"Jinta, get the others, take them to the basement where the others are, and take these guys with you, Grimm and I are going to get Ichigo and Tessai. Go, hurry! We can't risk Aizen getting his hands on anyone to use against us!"

Grimmjow and Shiro pushed their way to the doorway and went to open it, finding it locked. No, not locked, blocked. "Fuck!" Shiro yelled. "This is his move," he said, looking at Grimmjow. "Taking Ichigo."

"Tessai!" Grimmjow called, beating heavily on the door. "Ichigo, can you hear us?"

"Break the fucker down, Grimm, let's go!" Shiro said, and both stepped back and rammed their shoulders into the doorway. It gave a bit. "Damn Kisuke and buying quality building materials…"

Finally, after about five minutes of berating the door, it gave spectacularly, shattering into shards of wood. Inside the room, they realized the back of it had been blasted. Debris and dirt floated around them, and Tessai was unconscious against the wall next to the door. Grimmjow dropped to his knees and checked for his pulse and found it strong and stead. They turned and found that it had been the heavy bed blocking the doorway, and they were staring at the short fourth Espada, Ulquirro Cifer. He had his hand locked around Ichigo's bicep and was looking at them curiously. Ichigo's eyes were wide and Shiro realized he'd been drugged.

"Good night, boys," Cifer said, and stepped through the opening in the wall, tugging the orange haired boy with him.

Both Shiro and Grimmjow leaped forward only to back up when rapid gunshots rang out and exploded the floor at their feet. There was a dark van in the grass that the pale man threw Ichigo into, his body going limp into the back. Another set of hands closed it and they moved forward again, deterred by the gunfire. Behind them, they heard someone come up, but it was too late, the van was gone, and so was Ichigo.


	6. Chapter 6: Insidious Plans Enacted

**Sins of the Father**

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_A/N: WARNINGS, like MAJOR! Total Ichigo whump this chapter. This includes a kinda graphic nonconsensual between him and three women at the beginning. So skip to the second section if you don't want to read it. Very angsty Ichigo in the chapter, suicidal thoughts abound in this chappie. But don't fear, our poor boy won't be tortured too long. Rescue will come…though not in the way he expects. Yes, I didn't intend to do this tonight, but I was up with a kid that didn't want to sleep, so lucky you guys. Chapters 1-3 are now in final draft, unless i find mistakes. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter Six**

_Insidious Plans Enacted_

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oooooo – Aizen's Compund – 9 am - ooooooo

Ichigo woke slowly again. He groaned. Really? Drugged. He hated this feeling, like trying to swim through syrup to the surface of his mind. He remembered the explosion, the whole wall blowing inward, spraying him with stinging cuts and scrapes, then there was the green eyed guy who yanked the IV out of his arm and plunged a syringe into his thigh. Before he could even thing to resist, he'd been hauled to the feet and the bed was being pushed away by someone else, wait there was someone else there? Then there was a long pause and the door blew inward and he was looking at images that should have been Shiro and Grimmjow but they blurred into each other, a haze of blue and white, and then the world swam sickeningly and he was looking up into a man's face with a bandana over one eye…then it faded away.

"Oh he's waking up!" came a female voice.

"Yes, yes, on with the show. Wonder if we can all three get him to go off?" came another female voice.

"You know how resilient teenage boys are," another, different woman, this one slightly older. "He should be able to pop off and be hot again in fifteen minutes."

"Now girls, Aizen wants ta make sure he's somewhat conscious when he comes ta visit him later. He's tha bait for the trap ya know," a male voice, this one cocky, self-assured.

He blinked and found himself staring at a perfectly white ceiling. He turned to look and saw three women and the man with the bandana. He blinked again. Yes, the guy had to be almost seven foot tall the way he towered over the three women. One had short blonde hair, one long black pigtails, and the last one had curly violet hair.

"Hello sweetums," the violet haired one said. "Cirucci's my name, honey. And this is Loly," she said, pointing to the one with long black pigtails. "And finally, this gem is Menoly," she said pointing to the one with blonde hair. "And our boss here is Nnoitra. He's going to leave you to our hands though for now, because we've got big plans for you."

Ichigo frowned and looked around, not really sure what to think. "Plans?" he asked quietly.

"Ya, there, see yer the son of Isshin Shiba. Wait, Kurosaki, that's the name yer saddled with, huh? Well, it so happens yer the last of the intersection of three old families. The Quincy, from yer mommy, and the Shibas and the Yamamotos. So, ya really are a special gem, but, well, yer too old to be molded by Aizen now, so he wants to use you to create some little ones using yer genes. See, the Quincy, Shiba, and Yamamoto all are very old clans, and they have allegiances to them. Once we kill all the living ones, including you. So, these lovely ladies are going to use you, dear boy, and get pregnant with some family lines," he said with a grin.

The thought took a moment to set in. "What? No…I'm not…I won't…" he said.

"I know, yer dear dad turned ya inta a cockslut, huh? Well, don't worry, the ladies will take care of ya," Nnoitra said and waved, walking out, leaving him alone with three women who were looking at him like he were something edible.

He shook his head. "No, no…" he said.

"Its okay, sugar, we'll make you feel really good, I promise," the dark haired one said, dropping her blue robe to the floor, revealing that she was completely naked underneath.

"No!" he said, scrambling back, realizing that he himself was naked underneath the sheets of the bed he was on. He pulled them tighter, only to have Menoly yank them away completely, and drop her own robe.

He whimpered when she reached own and grabbed his flaccid member. "Hrm, we must do something about this, huh?" she said, dropping her head between his legs and sucking him into her mouth.

He gasped and tried to push her away, but Cirucci grabbed his hands and snapped handcuffs on one, and twisted them both behind his back, snapping both closed. He shook his head violently, but the other one, Loly, was on the other side, her fingers playing with his sack and squeezing. Cirucci was holding his legs still so Melony could work. Loly leaned up and latched onto his mouth, sucking his tongue into her own and he whimpered against her. But then, he felt the blood begin to rush south, and his body betrayed him to the mouth and tongue working him over.

"Hrm, there we go, sweetie," Cirucci said with a grin as Menoly choked a bit and moved back.

"No, don't want…" he said, shaking his head again before Loly captured his mouth again, biting hard into his sore lip. He felt the blood rush from the reopened wound.

Now Cirucci was naked, pressing her breasts up against him and he shivered away and just wanted them to stop what they were doing. He didn't want this, not at all. Then, he felt Menoly's hands wander further as she sucked him, one sliding effortlessly into his entrance making him jerk upward, forcing her to deep throat him as he moaned into Loly's mouth, more out of pain than anything else, but her finger forced its way deeper and he whimpered again, tears starting to pour out of his eyes as his mind spun backward. It hurt, not like before, but it was so sore and ached when she touched him there.

Menoly pulled her can back and sat up on her heels and looked down at him. Loly let go of his mouth and stared at him. "At least he's well endowed, I was afraid he'd wouldn't be any fun…"

"Well, little cockslut," Menoly said, leaning over and kissing him, licking the blood off his chin. "Seems like daddy dear tore you up, huh?"

"Oh?" Cirucci said, leaning forward and slipping her own finger into him without warning, to which he yelped and tried to squirm away from her as it quested inside him, brushing against the stitches, and then against something else that made him gasp in something besides pain.

"Hm, looks like daddy didn't give him any treats, only tricks," she said, fingers pushing against the spot that shot sparks through his brain. His cock had grown even harder from whatever she was doing.

"I think he's ready, Loly, you want first go?" Menoly said, moving back, as the dark haired one nodded, straddling him and pressing his legs together before lowering herself onto his weeping cock.

His eyes widened and he shook his head and started to beg them to stop, to leave him, but this time Cirucci's mouth latched onto him, sucking his tongue hard and making him wince with the pain as the woman on his lap began to buck against him. She sat back and sighed.

"He's not into kissing, girls, give me the ballgag," she said, and Menoly went to a bag by the door and removed a blue ballgag, and Cirucci secured it on him, muffling any sounds he tried to make.

He kept trying to pull away from the woman who was riding him, so Cirucci sat behind him against the wall and held his upper body still. She spent her time teasing his nipples, and then reaching to play with his entrance gain, her finger slipping inside to probe again at that spot. She stayed here and whispered filthy things into his ears about what she was doing to him and what Loly was doing. Menoly had pulled a dildo from the bag and was gleefully fucking herself while she watched. Finally, the stimulation to his prostate became too much with the Loly riding him and the world faded into white for a moment. Loly rode it out, staying on him until he'd completely gone flaccid again. He huffed hard breaths against the gag, shame rolling over him.

Then, she was off him, and cleaning him with a towel and dressing herself. But the woman behind him hadn't moved, and still had one finger buried inside him, brushing against the bundle of nerves that sent his cock to twitching a bit. Then to his horror, Loly went down on him, and while it took much longer, between her and Cirucci, his traitorous body responded yet again. Now, Menoly handed the dark haired girl the dildo, and her green eyes locked onto Ichigo's wide brown ones.

"My turn," she said, and sunk down onto him.

He groaned against the gag, and fought the tears. This was terrible. He didn't want this, but his body was responding and doing what they wanted. He tried to ignore it, ignore the sensations as once again, the world exploded in his brain and he heaved hard breaths against the gag, just wanting it to be over so he would be left alone. But now, the woman behind him switched places with Loly, who was done pleasuring herself. Loly wasn't as gentle as Cirucci had been, though and forced two of her fingers inside him and took her time locating the nerves she was seeking. She grinned against his naked back when he bucked involuntarily when she found them. Cirucci had cleaned him and then set to using her mouth on him.

All he could do then was sob against the gag. He wasn't in control of anything anymore. He just wanted them to leave him alone to stop…but soon enough, Cirucci was mounting him, cooing in his ear, telling him what a good little boy he was for them. He just sobbed harder against the gag and felt like he was choking on tears and saliva that ran down the back of his throat. Finally, after what felt like forever, he came again inside Cirucci and she slid off, wiping him off, and getting up. Loly shoved him over, and he landed on his side, panting against the gag, still weeping steadily. He felt so weak, so used…disgusting.

He felt a sheet be tossed over him, but he really didn't notice, his vision had tunneled because he was hyperventilating and couldn't get enough air in his lungs. The gag was released, but it didn't seem to help too much other than releasing a flood of saliva that had been pooled in his cheek.

He felt one of them pat his hip. "What a good little stud-whore. If you're lucky, one of us will get pregnant and we won't have to do this again. Well, maybe. Have to lock you up until a baby comes of it. I'm sure Aizen and our boss will take care of your needs though. Can't have the little cockslut miss having a cock up his ass for too long, now can we?" It was Cirucci. He didn't know or care why this was happening. His brain was short circuiting. Massively.

"Ah, let him be, I think we might have broken him, he's still crying, poor little thing," came Loly's condescending voice. "Well, too bad, even broken toys are fun to play with."

He passed out while they were talking, his hands shaking violently in the handcuffs they hadn't bothered to remove. Anything was better than the pain and humiliation he was feeling.

ooooooo - Urahara Shoten – 10 am - oooooo

By morning, the place was flooded with people. Every Captain and Lieutenant had been called in. The only person missing was Momo Hinamori. And no one seemed to know where she went, and no one could find her. Captain Soi Fon was also late, but she came bustling in with a firm scowl on her face, flopping into her seat in the basement conference room. Everyone looked at her. The captains all sat around the table, while the lieutenants all sprawled around the room on the futons. Considering the events of the day before, no one was upstairs. All the Visored sat at their seats at the table, and all the current Kiss Kids plus Ichigo's friends sat in a makeshift living area they'd put together in the corner of the room by the kitchen area.

"Report?" asked the Old Man.

"Hinamori. She's gone to Aizen. I believe she was the one to hand the information about the connection between the Old Man, the Shibas, and the Kurosakis. She's been relaying information under our fucking noses," she said bitterly. "He's pulled her out now, and the underground networks are buzzing with Aizen's new plaything by his side."

Kisuke sighed. "And before, how did he know to put the hit on Ichigo and his mother?" he asked, thoughtfully.

"Honestly, I am pretty sure she's been with Aizen since he left seventeen years ago. The idea that she got the information to him that he was a Shiba isn't too farfetched, but now she managed to uncover a group of protected files on the name changes. So that's why he's taken renewed interest. Before, he thought killing Masaki was enough. Now, he's decided to use it against us," she said rubbing a hand across her pale face. She shook her head, the long braids with their metal rings clinking against the metal chair she sat in.

"And what about Ichigo? Any word yet?" Kisuke asked, and noted the attention that was paid from the group near the back.

A woman with brown hair and an extremely ample bosom stood up. "Um, yes, I have some…information on that. I pulled in a few favors and got some rather…frankly, terrifying information. It seems that Ichigo's kidnapping is more than leverage," she said, glancing to Byakuya.

He nodded and stood. "By favors, she means she brought me a snitch that didn't want to talk. She was one of Nnoitra's hookers, one of his favorites that he often beds. After some persuasion, she was willing to part with some of her boss's pillow talk. It appears that Aizen wants to breed an heir."

There was a split second of silence before the room erupted with everyone talking. Kisuke stood up. "Wait, hush everyone! Listen to what Byakuya says until he's finished. What exactly do you mean?"

Byakuya nodded. "As you know, Ichigo's mother is of the Quincy line. His grandfather is of the Yamamota line. His grandmother is of the Shiba line. All are powerful clan lineages. Should the rest of the lines die out, anyone who holds even the slightest allegiance to one of those old clans will answer to someone like Ichigo."

"Isn't that a little old fashioned?" asked Shusui, yawning and sipping his sake. He'd offered it to everyone but no one else took any this early in the day.

"Yes, but it doesn't mean that the old ways can't be enacting if Aizen gets his way. I believe his plans are to feudalize once he eliminates the Shinigami and any political opponents. He would be in complete control, and he would have the aid of anyone bound to those three family lines. And that is a lot of old blood families. One of the only reasons the National Agency exists is due to the support for the Shiba and Yamamota lines from those old blood families. Their money, their political sway, everything, it still bends the will of the family leaders. They answer to us, even if they don't remember why. They only know they do," he finished and sat down.

Kisuke sighed. "So, he's using Ichigo because he knows that Ichigo is too old to mold into a leader that he wants him to be. He's too far damaged. So he's going to…use him to get a child."

Silence descended as they all took in the information. The Old Man stood. "I'm going to talk to my son. Despite what he has done, he does have a right to the information about who had his wife murdered and who forced him into committing such a heinous act on his son. He has no love of Aizen, though he did not know him well before he left home. He is being held at the local penetentary in a private cell. I will return. Kaien, would you come speak with your brother?"

Kaien nodded and left instructions to summon his best men, Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichica to take his place and his lieutenant's while they were gone. He would have to promote one of them permanently when he returned from his discussion with his brother.

oooooo - Isshin's Cell – 1 pm - oooooo

Isshin had been alone since _the incident_ and he was arrested. His mind was still coming to terms with what had happened, and it took everything he had not to cut his own wrists with something. He didn't deserve to live after what he'd done. His father had come to hear his story and then left, never saying anything. He knew his father, though. And he would die for what he'd done. It would be painfully, messy, and likely take a long time, but his father was a vengeful man. Especially when it came to family. So he was surprised when the door opened to reveal his father and his younger brother, Kaien. He wondered if they'd come to kill him personally.

"Isshin," Kaien greeted as the door shut and locked behind him. He nodded in acknowledgement and stared at the impassive face of his father. To his surprise he spoke to him.

"My son, your punishment has been delayed indefinitely in light of evidence. Sosuke Aizen was the man that ordered the death of your wife six years ago. He is also the man that ordered Zommari of the Espada to drug you with a substance that induced hypnosis and hallucinations. He then planted the idea in your mind to go home and see Masaki, knowing that you would hurt your son," he said flatly, not an emotion belied in his tone.

Isshin stood, his plain blue prisoner's clothes rustling. His eyes blazed though. Everything. Everything was Aizen's fault. If it weren't for him, Masaki would still be alive. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have spent six years in denial and self-blame about her death. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have spent the last six years taking out his anger, frustration, and pain on his only son. If it weren't for Aizen, he wouldn't have stumbled into his son's room and saw his dead wife instead of his child. If it weren't for him…none of this would have happened.

"Aizen intends to kill all three of us and the Ishidas," Kaien continued. "He's kidnapped Ichigo, and Byakuya's techniques have revealed he intends to use him to breed an heir to the three families."

The dark haired man turned to face the wall, fists balled up tightly, so tightly that blood was dripping from his hands moments later.

"My son, you have a chance at redemption. You know what the options are. I leave you to them," his father's voice behind him, but it was miles away.

The door was opened and remained so. A pile of clothes were laid nearby and he slowly changed into them, walking out of the prison that had housed him. No, his punishment would not be to sit in a cell, or even die by his father's orders. No, his punishment was more than that. His father had bestowed a final honor on him. He was not excused from his terrible crimes against his own flesh and blood. No, the final honor was to seek redemption through revenge. For Masaki, for Ichigo, for his daughters, and for himself and his wasted life. And this revenge was one he had no intention of coming back from.

oooooo - Aizen's Compound - 5 pm - oooooo

"I see the ladies wore you out," came a smooth voice from beside Ichigo.

He snapped to wakefulness, wincing at the pain in his shoulders. His hands were still handcuffed behind him. He felt crusted and dried blood on his face, and could still feel it weeping into his mouth. He was still lying where they'd tossed him, on his side, and staring at a man with immaculately kept longish brown hair. He wore a very expensive tailored suit of black with white pinstripes. He leaned casually on one fist, head tilted to the side.

Ichigo stared at him. "What do you want?" he asked finally, and realized his voice was somewhat stronger now than it had been. Then again, he had been speaking an awful lot recently.

"Just to check on my newest acquisition. It took some doing and a lot of people to get you away from Urahara. His 'home' is like breaking into a maximum security prison. I hadn't expected him to find you, actually. I had several men out on the road watching your house after your father went to you, I mean, it was my man who sent him to you, after drugging him of course. Szayel does make a most excellent drug, can convince anyone of anything and induce any hallucination with the stuff. A few well-placed words, and daddy dearest was on his way home to beat his son, only to find his wife in the bed instead. What's a lonely man to do? Why fuck her, or him, senseless, of course. And completely discredit his name, and bring out of hiding his father and brother. Unfortunately, I didn't foresee you jumping out your second story window. That was a mistake on my part. If the plan had gone right, you'd have been here instead of with Urahara. Ah well, what can one do but alter plans?" he said, smiling softly.

It took Ichigo a moment to process everything that had been said. If his mind wasn't so muddled, it would have happened quicker, but as it was, it seemed an eternity. His brow furrowed and he stared at the man. He…he made his father do that?

"I see you're just now understanding. You do know your grandfather is Old Man Yamamoto, head of the National Agency, or the Shinigami as they like to go by? No? Oh well he is. And that is a strong family. And your grandmother, also a strong family, was a member of the Shiba. Between those two families, there is enough clout to bind up this country in their pocket for millennia. I wanted that ability. And then to find out your mother was of the old Quincy line…shocking. Almost made me sorry that I had her killed," he said thoughtfully. "You were supposed to die that night. The idiot didn't check. He died painfully, I'm sure you can appreciate it, your mother's murdered died like she did, a bullet to the chest. Though he took longer to die."

The air was suffocating him. All around him, the air had turned thick and it was drowning him violently. He heaved and panted but not enough air could be extracted. He couldn't keep the air in his lungs. The man before him smiled and stood to leave as his vision tunneled and the world went black again.

A couple hours later he awoke to find he wasn't alone, but this time there was a boy sitting on the floor on staring at him. He had striking purple eyes and short blond hair. He was grinning and rocking. Beside him stood a little girl with short green hair. She smiled. "Hi!"

He cleared his throat. "Who are you?"

"Nel is Nel, and this is Wonderweiss. We came to bring you dinner but you was sleeping. Nel though she'd wait for you to wake up since you don't have your hands," the green haired girl continued.

Suddenly, it was all too much. He burst into sudden and gasping sobs. Nel jumped and looked at Wonderweiss who was still rocking, but now had a crinkled brow. "Naa?" he asked.

"Oh, no, don't cry, what's your name?" she said, jumping up to sit beside his head. Her tiny hands ran through his orange hair until he finally made a choked sound and said, "Ichigo," he said breathlessly, sucking in a gulp of air.

"Itsygo, don't cry, why is Itsygo sad? Did Wonderweiss and Nel make you sad?" she asked. He thought she had to be at least eight or nine. The boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, though it seemed he wasn't completely "typical" when it came to his state.

Ichigo shook his head. "No, Nel, no… I…wanna go home," he found himself whining like a child again. "I wanna see my sisters…I wanna see Getabishi and Shinji and Shiro and Renji and Uryu and…and…and…I don't wanna be here," he said with a sigh and a sob.

The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and held him as tight as she could, pulling the sheet up around him. She frowned and lifted it and dropped it again.

"Itsygo is naked!" she announced. "Why is Itsygo nakeds?" she asked.

Again, Ichigo couldn't contain the sob that escaped his mouth. He felt like a little kid again and he really, really just wanted someone he could hold onto and cry until he passed out. But he was stuck here with two children and no idea when and if anyone would come for him. And he didn't even know where he was.

"Oh, Nel's sorry, Itsygo," Nel said, petting his hair gently. "Nel will find you some clothes. Nel is good at finding things when no one wants her to find them. Then Nel will find something to open these silver bracelets for Itsygo. If you leave, can Nel and Wonderweiss go with you?" she asked, still running her small hands through Ichigo's hair. He nodded against her leg and she patted his head gently. "Okay, Itsygo. Nel find stuff now. Wonderweiss will stay here and help you eat. Let me get Itsygo sitting up," she said, and helped him struggle to a sitting psotion. The blond boy immediately scampered onto the bed and Nel sat a tray beside him.

Ichigo stared at the boy, his eyes still leaking tears. He was getting really upset with his body because it was doing nothing he wanted it to do. Just then, a spoon full of jello was shoved into his mouth, surprising him. He swallowed reflexively and found that the blonde boy was feeding him jello and there was a bowl of tomato soup on the tray and a glass of water. After a rather messy feeding session, Ichigo wasn't sure if more soup was in him or on him. The same went for the pink jello that was scattered about the bed and his lap. At least the water was successful, well mostly.

He looked up when the door opened and the little girl returned, a bundle in her arms. "Oh!" she said, and ran to the bathroom and came back with a wet towel and cleaned Ichigo's chest and face quickly, then proceeded to strip the sheet from his lap to dump the jello on the floor. He immediately flushed red and turned to cover himself with his leg.

"Itsygo, it otay. Nel help you, here, I found some pants!" she said and helped maneuver his legs into a pair of sweatpants that were much too big. But at least they were something. She looked at the shirt. "Hrm. Nel didn't find a key for the bracelets, so no shirt, but Itsygo better? Itsygo not cry now?"

Ichigo tried really hard to smile, but found the tears again would not stop even though he was nodding to the girl. She crawled up beside him and hugged him tightly. "It otay Itsygo. It otay. Nel cries sometimes too."

Wonderweiss leaned into him on the other side, mimicking Nel. He sat there for a very long time, leaning back against the wall, his hands still cuffed behind him, with the two kids holding him. He had never in his entire life felt more like wanting to die. His mind kept wandering to the thought of release. The thoughts bubbled and came to the surface again. He remembered wanting to die when his mom died. And then, when his dad was hurting him, he wanted to die again. And then, when he ran, he wasn't going to be sorry if he did die. And now…he was used, beaten, broken, in so many ways. He wasn't sure that he could ever be normal. Not now, not ever.

He was comfortable though, between these two kids that he'd never met. But he had something in common, they wanted to leave too. And if nothing else, he wanted to be there for them if he ever got the chance to get away, so he could take them away. Because of the comfortable feelings, he was almost asleep when he heard a loud booming sound that shook him and both the kids beside him awake. Alarm bells were blaring distantly, and he thought he could hear the sound of gunfire. Had they come for him after all? No, that would be suicide.

oooooo – Urahara Shoten – Two Hours earlier - oooooo

"Are you sure?" Kisuke asked, eying the groups heading out. His Visored were among them. He looked at Shinji with eyes threatening to spill tears.

"Boss, we gotta get him out. And you know as well as I do, we do everything we can for our own, so we're going. You gotta keep watch on the brats and Ichi's friends so they don't do something stupid," Shinji said nodded.

"Like hell, I'm going with you," came a voice behind Kisuke. Renji stood, dressed in a Kevlar vest already. "I'm done sitting by and letting things go. Fuck it. I'm going."

Shinji grinned. "You're with Byakuya, only open slot, Red. Now, we're all ready for this, boss, how many times have we had combat training with you and the Old Man?"

Kisuke sighed. "Alright, it isn't my choice, you're all adults. Just remember, I love you with all my heart and I want your asses back here in three hours' time. One hour drive, one hour operation time and one hour home, got it?"

Shinji saluted to him. "Got it, bossman!" he said and jumped into the van. Before long, a string of vans and SUVs were headed out carrying just about every available member of the Shinigami forces.

The plan was simple. Distract and extract. And for it to work, they had to flood Aizen's compound with people to confuse and divert attention. Soi Fon had managed to get a map and found three likely locations for where Ichigo was held based on the surveillance and protection around the areas. Shinji's team would hit point alpha, Kaien's team would hit point beta, and Byakuya's team would hit omega. The rest of the teams were to engage Aizen's forces until the all clear was sounded, then they were to retreat. They'd done it before on smaller scales, several times, but those were much smaller and less well armed compounds with far less on the line. This wasn't just about rescuing one of their own, this was an attempt to stop Aizen from wresting control of the entire country from the hands of the organizations that kept it peaceful and running smoothly.

Kisuke still didn't have to like putting his Visored in danger. And now Renji had gone off with them too. He'd never forgive himself if the op went bad. But then, with every captain and higher level member of their organization in on it, and it being a complete surprise, they had a great advantage. He just hoped they weren't too late.


	7. Chapter 7: The Protector's Question

**Sins of the Father**

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_This will be expanded. Wanted to get some feedback and see what people like/don't like. Anyway...enjoy. Pardon the mistakes, secondary edits coming soon._

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**Chapter Seven**

_The Protector's Question_

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oooooo - Aizen's Compound – 7 pm – oooooo

It was taking far too long to set up this operation than he liked. He leaned against his black SUV and frowned, an unusual sight for the fox faced man.

"Captain?" came the tentative voice of the blond lieutenant of division three. Gin Ichimaru turned and smiled at him. "You seem sort of…down."

"Jus waitin' on these guys ta get things a'movin along," he said with a sigh. "This could drop our workload, ya know, Kira. We're overworked as it is…Aizen loves to fuck wit' meh by floodin' these new drugs on tha market. He's still mad I turned down his offer," Gin said, brilliant blue eyes cracking open a bit. "I'm planning on dealin' wit a certain blind mother fucker if I can find 'im."

Kira's eyes widened. "You're going after Tousen?"

An even wider grin spread over the silver haired man. "Oh yes, gonna pay 'im back fer the knife 'e put in mah back that night."

The radio squawked in his ear. "All units in position. Commence Operation."

Gin smiled even wider, tightening the straps on his bandolier of throwing knives. He had a pair of glocks at his hips, but he really preferred knives. A pair of beautifully detailed knives were strapped down to his thighs as well for close fun…combat. He nodded to Kira and they both drew weapons and approached and waited. Once the alarms sounded the distraction teams would have moved into position. There was a split second before the air exploded in horrible sounds. Gin was glad the communicators blocked outside noise.

"Division Three, move out!" he called over the mic, and the group of seven men and women went through the gap in the fence the distraction team had opened.

Of course, they were there to rescue the kid. But for Gin's team, this was the perfect opportunity to put a crimp in the drug trafficking that Aizen specialized in. After all, it was one of that damn Szayelporra's designer drugs that had caused the problems. That drug needed to be eliminated before it hit the streets. So they were headed for the research room. His team was equipped with a technophile who was ready to eliminate every electronic trace of the drug's composition from the system, and hopefully, they'd find the pink haired bastard that specialized in making them, and Gin could carve a smile in his neck. This made Gin extremely happy.

Ten minutes, and several blown doors and dead guards, they made it to the research and development division of the Espada. They blew the door and Gin grinned even wider. Szayel Ganz was there, with Tousen beside him.

"Mah, mah, I didn't expect ta have so much fun. Ya comin' peacefully? I hope not…" Gin said, tilting his head to the side and waving at the pair.

"We will not remove ourselves from this room, Gin," Tousen said with a shrug. "I know you prefer a blade, so I am always equipped," said the blind, dark skinned man.

"So be it," Gin said, and moved with such speed that Szayel found himself on the ground, slammed out of the way by Gin.

Kira had moved in and had his gun trained on the pink haired man. Szayel was not a man with a death wish. He opted to put up his hands. Arrested by the Shinigami was much better than dead. And besides, he could deal with them perhaps. Another man hauled him to his feet and zip tied his hands and pulled him out. So far three men had given up out of the seven they'd come across. And having one of the Espada…well that was a nice bonus, Kira thought, and looked back at the fury that was his captain.

Gin was exceptionally good and enjoying himself greatly. Tousen, while blind, was perhaps one of the best knife-fighters Gin had ever faced, and he was pleased to see it had not changed. They exchanged blow after blow, and both were bleeding well after fifteen minutes, and both had dropped their stance somewhat from exhaustion.

"Gin, why do you stay with him?" Tousen said, parrying and stepping back, knife arm dripping blood now.

"Mah reasons are mah own, and ya did give me the join or die speech. Nah, I tend ta react badly ta that sorta thing. So why? Because ya chose to try'n kill meh. Now, I'll finish it," he said with a wide grin and advanced again.

To Tousan's surprise a shot rang out and he felt his body pitch backward. He looked down, blood blooming in his chest. He frowned and looked at Gin. His right hand was raised with the long knife as if to strike, but he'd drawn his Glock from the holster and shot him as he advanced with the left. Gin grinned widely.

"See ya have tha honor thing, I don't," he said, grinning, blue eyes opening to twinkle as the man slumped to the floor.

He holstered his pistol and sauntered out of the room as his tech came in and eradicated the entirety of the research system and hacked into the mainframe and set a virus loose to destroy the rest of the system after they'd left. He made it out to the SUV, by now the operation was over, but nothing mattered to him except the man he'd left dead. That was his real reason, and now, he felt so much better. Though cutting his throat would have been more satisfying, the shock on his face when Gin shot him was well worth it. He sat in the driver's seat and leaned back closing his eyes to wait until the radio announced retreat. What he heard next surprised him into hitting his head on the ceiling of the SUV.

"Clean up crews advance, Aizen has been confirmed dead. Repeat, Sosuke Aizen is confirmed dead."

oooooo – Another Location – 6:30 pm – oooooo

Isshin stood outside the electrified fence leading into Aizen's compound. He had a plan to get in, but no plan to get out. After all, he didn't intend to leave the compound. At least not alive. He was here for one reason. And that was to kill the man that ruined his entire life and his son's life. His son would never be the same, and Aizen…Aizen was going to pay in blood.

Isshin had been in division one's training program under his father before he met Masaki and left. He knew what he was doing even if the skills had gone to pasture for the last twenty years almost. He put a small device against the power supply for the fence and it frizzed, shorting out the section. He cut his way through and advanced quickly and quietly through the outer courtyard. He'd memorized the map he'd acquired from Kaien hours before.

Strategy had always been one of Isshin's strong points. This was no different. And it was much easier planning a solo mission that didn't have to deal with getting out. Getting to Aizen was the easy part, surviving the encounter was impossible. But that was okay. His nerves were on fire, and senses expanded. He'd shot himself with adrenaline and a couple other drugs, legal and not so much so, before he left. It wasn't like he had to deal with coming down off them. Might as well have the sharpest edge there was.

A guard came out and fixed him with a glare, but he was dead before he reached the radio, Isshin's silencer making a soft pop in the silent air. He stepped over the body. Again, no need to hide his tracks.

It took a while to maneuver his way into the compound and then ease into the ventilation system. He knew his son was here, but the last thing he wanted to was to encounter him. He would be rescued, and it would be all the easier once Isshin succeeded. And it was for him that he was doing this. Maybe it would give them both closure, in the end. Isshin knew for sure that he couldn't live knowing what had happened, even if it was under the influence of some drug. No, he deserved death, and he wanted to make his death count in some way. A smile made its way to his face. Yes, it would count. He was looking down through the grate into a large study where the man he was seeking sat going over paperwork.

He pulled out a small tablet device and tapped a few commands and red lights flashed in the vicinity and a loud clang resounded as the study, which doubled as a panic room, locked down, metal shades sealing the windows, and door bolting. Aizen stood up, but Isshin kicked down and dropped through into the room. The ventilation system was open, but sealed at further down by a grate that dropped. In essense, Isshin was sealed in a locked room with the man that had his wife murdered and completely destroyed his family.

Aizen looked up calmly from the desk and stared. "Isshin? My, is this your doing?"

Isshin smiled and nodded, holding his weapon on him. "It is, Sosuke Aizen. It seems I'm your executioner."

The brown haired man snorted. "And just how do you intend to get out and rescue your precious son? Oh, that should be a fun reunion, what will you say? Sorry son, I really didn't mean to rape you. Forgive me?"

Isshin shook his head. "You don't understand, do you?"

Aizen frowned and then his eyes widened just slightly. "You have no intention of getting out. You intend to die here."

"Good job, smart ass. You honestly think I can live with myself after what _you_ made me do? No my son will be safe in about an hour, by my guess," he said, arm never wavering, eyes steady and hard.

"So, suicide by having my men shoot you or having me kill you?" Aizen asked, fingers pressing a button under the edge of the desk.

Isshin smiled, a feral look. "Oh yes, indeed. But you won't live either, Aizen."

"I think I will, Isshin. You could have shot me already," he said with a sigh.

"Ah, you think I'm going to shoot you?" he asked, and laid the gun down on the desk, sitting down in the seat across from him.

Now Aizen was surprised as he looked at him, pulling his own gun from under the desk and aiming at him. "So why don't I shoot you instead?"

The dark haired man laughed now. "I'm so high that I don't think a mortal wound would be felt. Of course, that was the intention. But go ahead. Everything's been set in motion already. You won't leave this room, and neither will I."

Aizen shot then, the bullet slamming into the other man's shoulder with a loud squelch as blood flew out behind him, the bullet tearing through muscle and bone. Isshin stared at it and smiled. He had more pain killers running through him than he remembered, and the amphetamines kept him awake.

"Ah, look at that," he said, glancing at the bleeding wound.

Aizen just stared. "What's your plan?"

Isshin looked at the watch on his wrist. "You'll see in three…two…one."

A hissing sounds began in the ventilation shaft. "You see, I knew this was a panic room. Sealed from everything, can survive a nuclear blast, and air tight. And isn't that handy. When I came through the vent, I fixed a blockage further down so that even when the air grate fell, circulation to the room would be effectively cut off. Then I planted, oh, ten canisters of a colorless, odorless, neurotoxin that are activating right now. Quite painful way to die, actually. But like I said, I am so completely numb that I won't notice at all. You on the other hand, you'll writhe in agony as you die."

Just then, Aizen felt blood dripping from his nose and looked up at Isshin, who's nose had begun to bleed as well as his ears. Aizen blinked, the world starting to blur around him. He wasn't lying. Before long, he felt like his insides were being ripped apart inside him and he screamed, dropping to his knees. Isshin began to laugh as blood dripped from his own eyes and mouth in a steady stream. He died of blood loss first, leaving the other man screaming in torment. Later, he would be found, Aizen dead in a fetal position on the floor surrounded by several pints of his blood, eyes wide in an expression of tormented anguish. Isshin had laid his head back and died with a smile frozen on his lips.

Shinji's team consisted simply of the Visored. In essence, that's all he needed. They were going to find Ichigo, and they had taken point alpha. The alarms were distant, and they were nearly three. He was again amazed at Lisa and her thighs. That woman could bring down a six foot tall soldier and break his neck with those things. If he were straight anymore…damn. But that was beside the point. Hiyori did her own job, kneecapping them, using her short stature to her best advantage. Kensai, well Kensai beat the shit out of everything he came across because he was pissed. Actually, not just Kensai. They were all pissed. Ichigo was one of them. He was a Kiss Kid, just like them, and when he wanted, he'd join the Visored and he'd help other kids like them. That was what they did. They definitely didn't leave anyone out to dry. He paused. Actually, they hadn't stopped to give anyone a chance to surrender. Oh well.

There was a loud crack as someone shot down the hallway. Bad idea, Love was on point ahead of them. The gunshot was followed by a much more subdued crack of a breaking neck. Shinji and the others came around and Love nodded at them, scratching his ear with his pinky nonchalantly.

"Clear up to a locked doorway at the end of the hall that should be Alpha," Love said with a nod.

Shinji spoke in the radio. "Rose, we clear behind?"

"Oh, I had a couple in a tizzy, but I took care of them with my glittering personality," Rose answered sweetly. Shinji rolled his eyes.

Mashiro was sitting down yawning. "We there yet?"

"Get up, woman," Hiyori said, hauling her up. "Hachi, you good still?" she said to the tall heavyset man behind her. He was twiddling with the soft pink of his mustache. He nodded ascent.

"Hiyori, Rose, keep the path back clear. We have to be able to get out safely. Kensai, you're with me at the door," Shinji said, moving up and dashing down past Love, who stood at the next intersection.

Whatever was here, they were protecting. There were cameras mounted outside the door and it had quite an impressive locking mechanism. Two actually. One was external only, and appeared to have been activated with the alarms. The other could be unlocked from the inside, and was, in fact, unlocked. That indicated it was a room people could be inside and not just a storage closet. Shinji reached into the black beltpack and pulled out a string of explosive and set it carefully around the lock. A second later, the high tech explosive popped and Shinji thanked Mayuri for not fucking it up this time. Last time he used the shit, it exploded in his face and nearly took his eyebrows off. He was fond of his eyebrows dammit, and it had taken weeks to grow the singe out of his hair around his face. He hauled the extrodinarily heavy door open and sighed in relief touching the open com.

"Team Alpha, affirmative, repeat, affirmative, go for extraction."

Then he took in the sight. Ichigo was staring at him blinking repeatedly, his eyes red rimmed and very puffy. His lip was weeping blood still and very swollen. He was sitting on the bed, hands behind his back, and his whole upper body was covered with tiny cuts and scrapes, most likely from the explosion the day before. A pair of loose sweatpants sat on his hips that looked about like they'd fall off the moment he stood up. But his expression killed him. His eyes were vacant. A girl with green hair was staring at him with a lot of hostility from one side of him, and a blond boy was looking at him curiously, rocking back and forth.

"Who you? Why you here? You hurt Itsygo, Nel will…will…hurt you!" Nel yelled, jumping up off the bed and standing in front of Shinji.

"That so, short stuff?" he said and walked past her, ruffling her hair as Kensai ducked into the room.

Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes. "Sh-shinji?" he whispered. "Y-you came?"

Shinji pulled him forward and saw his hands were cuffed behind his back and snorted. "Fuckers. Yeah, Berryboy, I'm back. Let's get you back to Kisuke's, your boyfriends are going nuts without you around…I think Grimm is gonna pop a blood vessel, and fuckin' Shiro won't stop pacing. They were _pissed_ we wouldn't let them come with us," Shinji said, pulling out a pick and deftly picking the handcuffs, wincing at the bloody mess his wrists were in. He'd struggled against them. Hard.

"C-can we take them?" he asked, looking up with real emotion for the first time since he came in.

Shinji looked at the kids. "Well, fuck yes, you think we'd leave them behind, let's get out of here, and get these two to the boss. That okay with you, little boss?" he said, facing the girl. She grinned and nodded.

"Come on, Wonderweiss. He don't talk, Shin-shin, well not too much, anyway," she said as the blond boy scrambled off the bed and stood beside her. It was hard to tell his age.

"Two Kiss Kids found, age 8ish and 12ish I think," he said in the open com. "Extraction underway, radio silent."

Shinji smiled, and pulled Ichigo to his feet. He reached down and gripped the too big pants with one hand. Nel had grabbed the shirt and handed it to him. He nodded and pulled it over, grimacing at the obvious pain in his shoulders. Shinji looked him over.

"You okay otherwise, Berry-bro?" he asked, lowering eyes to meet with his downcast gaze. "They hurt you any before we got here?"

Lisa came running into the room. "We go now, Shinji, there's a whole squad moving into our position, we don't move now we're going to be in trouble."

Shinji caught the flinch when Lisa came in. Shit. Fuck, he thought. Goddammit. She fixed Lisa with a look and shook his head. She closed her eyes slowly, understanding. They knew what they were planning. It looked like they hadn't wasted any time. He motioned Ichigo forward, ushering the two kids with him. Nel and Wonderweiss (what kind of name was that anyway?) both grabbed onto him.

A few minutes later, they'd been corralled into an unfamiliar area. In avoiding the squad they'd managed to walk right into a large room. "Fuck!" Kensai exclaimed.

"Where are you going with our new friend?" came a voice from above. They looked up to find they were locked into some sort of theater room. Shinji saw the way Ichigo flinched at the voice. He looked up to see a woman in a black pantsuit and with curly purple hair standing against the railing on the next level.

"Yes, you can't take him away yet," came another voice, and Ichigo spun around on his heel, eyes wide as a woman with two long black pig tails wearing a tank top and a pair of jeans came in through one of the doors behind him.

Another woman emerged behind her, this one with short blonde hair and wearing a pleated black skirt and white shirt. "We weren't quite finished with him yet…"

Shinji saw the look on Lisa's face. He glanced at Mashiro and Hiyori. Both wore a similar expression of rage twisted with hatred.

"Leave him alone, we're leaving here with him," Shinji said, moving to stand beside him.

"Oh, but you wouldn't want to hurt his new girlfriends?" the dark haired one said, and Shinji saw the horrified look cross Ichigo's face as he stepped back.

"Yes, now you wouldn't want to leave yet, would you, lover boy?" came a voice directly behind them and Shinji saw that the one with purple hair had come down and was standing right behind Ichigo, who had frozen with her hands resting on his waist. "Now where did you get these nasty clothes? I didn't leave you anything to wear, love," she said, leaning over him and speaking directly in his ear.

Shinji growled and looked at his three girls. He smiled. "Three of you. Three of them. Your odds aren't good I'm afraid. Because my girls...well, they're not happy."

The blond and brunette stood closer now. The brunette looked to the blonde. "Why Menoly, I think he's indicating that these three females are a danger to us."

"I do believe so, Loly. What do you think Mistress Cirucci?" the blonde said.

Shinji nodded. "Your Nnoitra Gilga's. Makes sense. Want someone to get pregnant, get ahold of our best hookers, right?"

Ichigo looked about ready to hyperventilate. Shinji glanced at Lisa. She was more than ready to go for the one with the violet hair. She would not stand a chance either. Nel and Wonderweiss had stepped back away from where Ichigo was being held by the Mistress Cirucci. Shinji glanced at Kensai. He hated to do this, but the best way was to go by surprise. Kensai tackle Ichigo away from her, the Lisa take her on. Hiyori and Mashiro were more than ready to take on the other two bitches.

"Yes, well, turns out he was quite a nice fuck toy…" Cirucci purred. "Took some doing…so resistant! But you know, we're experts at arousing bodies. A properly placed finger in his ass and a talent mouth and tongue on his cock, and it doesn't matter how much he didn't want it, he was having a good time after all, weren't you, baby?" she said, and Shinji couldn't take it anymore.

"Now!" he yelled, leaping forward, and pulling both Nel and Wonderweiss back with him.

It happened in a split second. Kensai leaped and tackled Ichigo away from the woman's grasp, rolling and moving away from him as quickly as he could. Shinji was there on the floor watching him, and the girls. Lisa had flashed forward and Cirucci had avoided the lethal thigh lock of doom but it didn't matter. Moments later, she was hog tied quite comically with zip ties. Hiyori had sprung and took out the knees of the blonde, dropping her to the ground and keeping her there with a box shot and a knee to the temple as she followed her down. Mashiro was the slower of the three, but she never hurried for anyone. The brunette, Loly, thought she was going to have a chance, until she found herself with Mashiro sitting on her back, zip tying her hands together, having never seen her jump from the floor to her shoulders.

"Ichigo!" Shinji said, on his hands and knees where Ichigo had fallen. He'd assumed a fetal position, eyes wide and vacant. He blinked at looked at Shinji, his breathing fast and panicked. Kensai sat down beside him too.

"Come on Berry-bro. In and out. Just like before. Gotta calm down so we can get you and your new friends outta here. The three bitches are going with us. I'm leaving Love, Mashiro, and Rose to deal with them. We need to get you home to Kisuke," Shinji said, reaching out and brushing a hand through his orange hair. Luckily he didn't flinch away. That was a good sign, or a bad sign. It meant he might also be in shock.

"Getabishi…" Ichigo whispered and nodded slowly.

Kensai helped him to his feet, then found he had latched onto his arm with a death grip. Kensai nodded to Shinji. Those that remained quickly blasted their way through he corridors and found their way out. Eventaully, they were outside and found it was swarming with the shinigami they'd brought. Then he stopped stock still as the announcement went over the open com that Aizen was dead. He shook his head and they found their way to the van where he loaded up the two kids and Ichigo, and Kensai stayed with them. Mostly because Ichigo refused to let go of him. But that was okay by both of them. He saw Byakuya and Renji talking. Renji looked up as he approached.

"We're ready. We're heading back to the shoten. We got Ichigo and two more. Three of my team are escorting out the three…women we apprehended," Shinji said, his eye twitching at the words.

Byakuya nodded, then looked at him. "Wait, you mean they'd already…?" he asked.

Shinji nodded. "Too late for us to stop that part, Byakuya. That's why we gotta take them in and have medical find out if any of them got knocked up. Ichigo may not have been willing, but I know he won't want a kid of his abandoned to the likes of one of those three. They're part of the Nnoitra's prostitution ring. One of them is Mistress Cirucci, actually. Taking them in will put a dent in his work."

Byakuya nodded. "Aizen's dead, and so is Tousin. We've captured Szayelporra Ganz, Tier Hallibel and her three people, but she gave us no trouble. She apparently ran the legal aspect of Aizen's work. Nnoitra is gone, so is Stark and Cifer. We took down Zommari and Yammy. Neither one was willing to cooperate. I'm not sure the status on the others. Several of Barragan's men are in custody or dead. All in all, this entire thing has led to the complete breaking of Aizen's operation."

"Well, the only thing I'm worried about is getting Ichigo home, and away from this place so we can deal with the aftermath that's coming," he said. "Renji, come back to the home when you're done. Rose and Love can bring you, they're wrapping up arrest, and we needed the three slots in the van for Ichigo and the other two.

Shinji excused himself and leapt into the driver's seat. Lisa sat beside him, and Hachi, Hiyori, and Kensai were in the back. He glanced back, unsurprised to find Ichigo had fallen asleep against Kensai's shoulder. The bigger man had put an arm around the slender boy's shoulders and held him upright. Shinji knew it would be a long road from now on. He wouldn't wish the next few weeks on his worst enemy. Well, maybe one of the bitches that raped him…yeah, he'd wish that on them. And Aizen. Definitely Aizen.

oooooo - Urahara Shoten – 10pm – oooooo

Kisuke got the call they were almost back. He ushered everyone to their rooms under strict instructions to stay there until he told them to come out. Ichigo didn't need everyone around right away. Before long, the door opened and he smiled to see Kensai leading him shakily into the room. He was wearing a blood stained t-shirt and holding tightly to the waist of an obviously too big pair of sweatpants. He was glad he'd picked up some clothes for him today.

"Ichigo!" he called as soon as he saw the boy. His eyes went wide and Kisuke, ever observant, caught the slight quiver of his lower lip. "Come here, son, come here," he said, taking him gently from Kensai's grip. "Boy's, Tessai in the exam, take our new kids to see him, please."

He led the boy into a comfortable study and sat down on the couch beside him. "Ichigo…I'm so sorry he got to you here of all places…"

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "He-he was going to pick me up…after…after…after dad…he said that he had men waiting…b-but I j-jumped out the window and he didn't expect it…said you weren't….you weren't supposed to find me…that…that I was to go to him, not you, Getabishi….I was so scared and they…they made me…made me…" he choked a sob out and looked up at Kisuke's kind gray eyes with watery brown ones. "And…and I said…I wanted to come home…I wanted to come to you…"

"I know, and you're here now, and here's where you'll stay. Your sisters are safe. The two kids you brought out with you are safe now. You're safe. Your friends are safe too, they're all here. And Aizen's dead, so he won't be coming for you anytime soon. I…I'm afraid that your father was the one to kill him…but in the process he was killed as well," Kisuke said gently. Best to get it all out and over with. Maybe it would bring some form of closure.

"They-they're dead?" he whispered. "Oh…oh gods…" he whispered and Kisuke pulled him into his chest as the trickle of water became another flood as heavy hard sobs wracked his body.

Sometime later, he sat, rocking a bit. His tears had been stemmed but he sat leaning against Kisuke his eyes wide and wet still.

"Everyone's safe," he whispered finally.

Kisuke ran hands thorugh his hair gently and nodded. "Everyone's safe. You did such a good job, Ichigo. For years, you've protected your sisters, and your friends, and now these new kids. You've done such a good job."

Ichigo sighed then, lowering his head into Kisuke's lap and pulling his legs up onto the sofa. Kisuke grabbed a blanket and covered him, and continued to thread his fingers through the orange hair. "Everyone's safe," he repeated slowly. "Don't have to protect them anymore."

Kisuke's brow furrowed at the words and he glanced down to see he'd fallen into a deep sleep on his lap. He was a little worried though. The statement seemed innocuous enough. Unless you were used to dealing with broken and beaten down people on a daily basis. Ichigo was obviously a protector. He fought in the name of others. He defended those he loved. He spent six years being beaten without a word to anyone out of fear his sisters would get hurt. The eternal question of the Protector. What happens when no one needs protection anymore? What is there to live for?


	8. Chapter 8: The Deepest Cut

**Sins of the Father**

* * *

_A/N: No sugar coating. Suicide attempt at the end (no I don't kill anyone this chapter). Also LEMONness of a Shinji/Uryu vareity. Seems sligtly dubconny in the beginning but it is more surprise than resistance._

_Again, first run, I'll be adding a few thousand words to it still._

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

_The Deepest Cut_

* * *

Ichigo sat at the table the next morning. He'd spent the entire night sleeping across Kisuke's lap, and the man hadn't budged the entire night. He'd slept sitting up, head propped by several pillows someone had put under him. Ichigo was so confused as to why someone would do something like that for him. He was completely and utterly useless now. He had no reason for being, essentially. The darkness was descending on him again, the darkness that he tried so hard to avoid, but it was coming back.

_"You…you did this," his father hissed at him as he lay in the hospital bed, his leg throbbing despite the pain killers he'd been given._

_"Pop, I don't…I don't…what did I do? Please, I…" the little boy asked, eyes wide._

_"You did this. You killed your mother." _

_The little boy's eyes were wide with terror. He did? How did he kill his mother? The bad man shot him in the leg then shot her and she died!_

_"Th-that man did, Pop, I…I…" he started._

_"Shut the fuck up," his father snarled, startling the boy. He'd never heard his father use bad words before. "If it weren't for you, if she hadn't fucking stepped in front of the bullet to save your worthless hide, she'd be here." _

_The big brown eyes brimmed with tears and they began to spill into sobs until he felt a sharp pain in his face. He blinked and realized his dad had slapped him. By the heat and the sting, it was hard too. His tears stopped and he stared in utter shock at the man who had always loved him and made him feel safe._

_"Don't fucking cry. And don't say a fucking word to me. I don't want to hear your lying mouth open again. Don't say her goddamned name, and don't you dare mention her to me ever again. Do you understand me?" he said, face inches from the boy._

_He didn't know what to do so he nodded slowly and didn't say anything for a long moment. "But Pop…I…"_

_A loud smack resounded in the room again, this time a backhanded slap to the other side of his face. His dad lowered his eyes and practically snarled. "What did I say?"_

_His eyes were wide and scared and he was silent, completely silent, and he felt the curtain of darkness descending onto his whole being. He made her die. So how could he live? He didn't deserve to live. And eventually a mantra formed in his mind. It didn't take but a couple months of confrontations with his father to ingrain the words into his mind._

_I don't deserve this life she gave me. I don't deserve the sacrifice she made. I don't deserve kindness. I don't deserve love. I don't deserve devotion. I deserve nothing but pain. I am useless, good for taking up space, and taking her life. I am nothing compared to her. I deserve this punishment. And no one can know because they'd punish me too. I must keep quiet or there will be questions. And I am to blame._

_Consciously, he knew he wasn't to blame for his mother's death, especially as he got older and understood things better. But still the mantras would play in his mind, forever etched there in his memory. He tried to break them. He really did. But every compliment, every well-meaning phrase, he heard the opposite. Maybe that's why he fell into the fights with such relish. The first had been the usual, and for once, Ichigo had enough and released everything he'd taken into a single punch that dropped a boy three years older than him out cold. Renji's eyes had shined so bright in surprise, and from then on, no one picked on the pair without receiving their due in return. But he never started fights. But he also never walked away._

_Yet he stood in front of his father and took everything he had to give because this, this he deserved. No one could punish him, no one except the people he'd hurt the most. And then he'd see his sisters and wonder what if he wasn't there. Who would his dad take his anger out on? He hated to think of a bruise marring the skin of his sweet sisters…_

"Yo, man," came a voice by Ichigo's ear. He looked up and saw it was Shiro. "You get lost in there?" he asked, sitting beside him. Ichigo shook his head.

"What's on yer mind, Ichi-berry?" Shiro asked finally. "You should really be in bed, man."

Ichigo looked at him, a person just about as broken and shattered as he felt. Could he be that strong? Could he pull the pieces back together after everything had been taken from him?

"I…I'm lost, Shiro. I…it's all gone now. Pop's dead. My sisters are all safe, you know. And Nel and Wonderweiss are out of that horrible place. Aizen's gone, and his Espada are scattered. But I don't know about…" he stopped, eyes going wide and swallowing. "What if they, you know, got pregnant?" he whispered, finally. "I…I…oh I think I'm gonna be sick."

Shiro sighed and patted him on the back. "Uryu said you weren't into girls. I imagine that…ugh. I just can't imagine. Tried it once, totally disgusting, if you ask me," Shiro said with a shake of his head. "Funny I went gay and the chick went lesbo after that…I think we turned each other off, eh?" Shinji said with a wink at him.

Shiro was gay? Well, that was interesting; Ichigo thought and sighed, nodding. "I think…I think it was worse than what my dad did. So much worse…" he said finally, staring at his hands. "So out of control, and I didn't want them to do it, and I didn't want it but…they just were pulling strings on a puppet, ya know?"

"Ya know, you can talk to the boss about it, he's good at listenin' to this stuff. Or if you want we can find someone else. A female therapist might help…" at the word Ichigo shook his head violently.

"Come on, you want to see everyone else? Rukia, Orihime and Arisawa have been non-stop asking after you this morning," he said gently.

"I…I wanna go back to my room…" he said, standing so suddenly the chair fell backward. "P-please…I…I can't…" he said, and he looked somewhat dazed.

Shiro stood, picking up the chair and took his arm gently. "Hey, that's fine, come on, you're still not well rested yet, and Tessai needs to change those bandages on your wrists, you've bled through them again. Fuck-a-duck, dude, you almost broke both your wrists on those handcuffs, you know?"

He sat him on the bed and hit the buzzer for Tessai. He carried a pager on his belt that was activated by it. While he waited he began to unwrap his wrists. Ichigo winced and stared at them. In particular he stared at the blood dripping down his forearms.

"Dude, you know what, you are one tough bastard," Shiro muttered, looking over the shredded flesh. "That had to hurt like a mother fucker."

Ichigo knitted his brows. "I…I didn't even feel it…I didn't know until Shinji took 'em off…"

"You know what this is, don't ya?" Shiro asked him, smiling gently. Ichigo shook his head. "Proof that you fought. I know I haven't had that happen to me, but this, this here, shows how much you _didn't_ want them to do what they did. And you have to remember that. They were girls, I know, how many times do you hear that a girl can't rape a guy, right? Well, they can. You know why? Because this stuff," he said pointing to his own crotch. "This has a mind of its own. Pressure, touch, it all jacks our shit up. Girls like those bitches, they're fuckin' hookers, dude. It took a prostitute to make you respond, and not just a regular one, the fuckin' Madam and her two lackies. That is some fucking control, man. I'm lucky if someone touches my ass on accident I don't pop a fuckin' boner. I heard them bitching that you didn't 'meet expectations' of a horny teenager. Well, man, you are stronger than me…"

Ichigo blinked, really unsure where the tirade came from as he stared at his wrists again. They were totally fucked up. All way around they were bruised purple and red, and the skin was rubbed completely raw and the outside of each wrist where he'd put the most pressure was lacerated several times where the cuffs had caught and bit into the skin when he pulled his arms to try and get free.

"I wouldn't kiss them. They got mad, so they gagged me…" he said softly, reaching up to the sore jaw. There were bruises across his jaw from his struggle with the gag.

"Who'd want to kiss their disgusting girl mouths? Fuck, those bitches are sick," he said, plopping down beside Ichigo. "Just because they suck men off for a living…tell you what, I ever see one of them again, I'm siccing Lisa on them again. That was some sick shit…I heard about her thighs of doom. She breaks necks with them, that's crazy!"

Ichigo let himself smile a little. "Why are you saying this?" he asked softly, turning serious again.

Shiro sighed. "Because dude, you need to hear it. I know what it's like. Coming out from under someone beating into your skull how you should think and it fucking sucks. And after your dad did that shit for so long, then this shit…man, you've been through worse shit than any of us I think."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, no, all of you, you've had it worse than me; I was fine until I was nine, so…"

"Fuck that shit dude. So it didn't start until you were nine. The point is it just stopped _now_. My shit stopped five fuckin years ago. You have no idea how fucked up I was until about two years ago, okay? It took three fuckin' years to be able to go in public, Ichi-Berry. Three years. Before that, I wouldn't go out without every inch of skin possible covered and sunglasses because I was so fucked up about my self-image. And now, you know what? I cover it up with tons of fuckin' sarcasm and act like it doesn't bother me. But to this fuckin' day, every look I think is deciding if I'm a goddamned demon or some shit or some freak. And every time someone says something…it breaks my fuckin' heart all over again and I laugh and joke about it. But inside, I'm fuckin' dying," Shiro said, leaning back on Ichigo's bed, and staring at the ceiling. "You don't just make this shit disappear, Ichi. And its okay. That's what we call healing, okay? And yeah, the rest of the world thinks half the shit I'm saying is psychobabble. But I know what fuckin' works. And talking…it works."

Ichigo was silent for a long moment, thinking over what he said. "But, what's my purpose? What do I do?" he finally asked.

Shiro shook his head as Tessai opened the door to redress Ichigo's wrists. But the statement worried Shiro. A lot. Enough that his mind spun backward.

_"What do I do!" the little boy with blue hair practically screamed at Kisuke._

_Shiro stood back against the wall. Last night had been bad, they had brought in the new boy, and he was still upset. Kisuke sat on the sofa and stared at the blue haired boy. _

_"Grimmjow…I understand but come and sit down," Kisuke said calmly._

_"No! What do I do? He's dead, my baby brother's dead, because he…he got between him and me, and I'm the big brother, I'm supposed to protect him, and I didn't! So what do I do? I want to die! I want to be with him!" he yelled, tears beginning to roll down his face. "I have no reason to be here anymore!"_

_Kisuke moved and pulled the elven year old boy into his lap and held him while he cried. Shiro watched for a minute then went to sit by him and put a hand on his head. Teary cyan eyes looked up and locked with Shiro's exotic ones._

_"C-can your reason b-be to b-be my big brother? I…I need someone," he said quietly. True, he was perhaps a few months younger than the other boy, but he was far from being mentally the same age. He was still catching up with school, and was perhaps at a level closer to a second grader than a sixth grader._

_The blue haired boys brows knitted and he reached out and drew Shiro into his arms, and Kisuke smiled, hugging them both as they cried together._

Shiro shook his head as he stood. "Hey, I'm gonna go check on some things, you be here with the Berry?" he asked. Tessai nodded.

Shiro made his way out to find Grimmjow. He needed him and their fucked up brotherly love, even if most would consider it taboo, whatever the hell it was they had, he didn't know. But he needed arms around him to ground him and remind him he wasn't alone. He was pouring everything he had into Ichigo because he needed it. But now, Shiro needed something in turn, and he knew that Grimmjow would be able to give him the support he needed at that moment.

oooooo – Main Study – oooooo

Renji sat back in the seat with Rukia curled under his arm. Orihime and Arisawa were in a similar position on the other side of the room. Uryu was sitting, reading his book silently. Chad was staring out the window. A knock alerted them to someone coming and they all looked up to see the tall blond Shinji. He smiled.

"Hey," he said, dropping into the sofa hard beside Uryu, startling him into almost dropping his book. He blinked and looked over at the man.

"The hell, man?" Uryu said with a frown. "What do you want?"

Shinji grinned and winked at him. "I wanna show ya somethin'," he said with a smirk. "Come with me, sugar."

Renji quirked a brow at the endearment, and Uryu looked a little surprised, but he stood slowly, laying his book on the table. Shinji followed suite, standing up fluidly and walking out for Uryu to follow. Uryu looked at Renji and shrugged, following him into another room. It looked like another study. He looked around and then turned in time to be spun around and slammed into closed doorway behind Shinji.

Shinji planted a hand on either side of the slightly shorter boy's head and grinned. "You said you liked older men," he stated. "I'm not as old as Sazeyl, but I guarantee I'm a hell of a lot more dependable."

Uryu blinked rapidly. Well, this was unexpected. He had of course been thinking about Shinji when he was describing why Szayel fit his type of partner. Tall, thin, forceful. Though Szayel hadn't been forceful enough. He wanted someone to completely wrest control from him. Like this. He didn't speak, just nodded, hands planted firmly with splayed palms on the door behind him.

Before he could move, the blond was sucking into the pulse point on his neck, making his knees go weak and a moan escape his lips. Then his hands were tangled in his hair and his lips were hot and needy, as a deep throated moan escaped the older of the two. He yanked Uryu away from the door and practically threw him to the sofa, dropping himself beside him and pulling the younger to straddle his lap.

"Like it a little rough, do we?" Shinji growled, his hand palming Uryu's throbbing cock through his jeans forcing a wonton sound from his lips as Shinji latched onto him again, fingers flying over the button and zip of his jeans and very talented fingers yanking his straining arousal through the hole in his boxers and over the zipper.

Uryu had no response. He'd never had anyone do this. He'd by this point generally overpowered all his lovers, refusing to allow them to take the lead, and feeling slightly disappointed by their lack of…what? Aggression. They lacked the feral aggression that the man he was frotting desperately against had. Shinji wasn't afraid to use force to give him what he wanted and couldn't ask for with his voice, but he asked with his arching body into the touches that were feathering over his leaking cock.

"Fuck, look at you, you're gonna come before I even get your fucking pants off," Shinji purred in his ear.

He was thrown off balance suddenly and was on his back on the sofa again, Shinji standing now, removing his t-shirt and jeans with agonizing slowness that made Uryu buck his hips into the air and release a strained whine.

"Needy little bitch, huh?" Shinji asked, his eyes glistening, that wide mouth grinning. "Tell me what you need."

Uryu shook his head back and forth and found himself without clothes moments later, Shinji's hands working quickly to disrobe the younger man. He groaned as Shinji settled between his knees and stared at him.

"What do you need?" he breathed, breath ghosting over his leaking cock, sending exquisite shivers up his spine.

Oh gods this was so many shades of wrong, but he needed this…needed to get his mind off everything, and considering what Shinji had gone through the night before, something told him that the older boy was desperate for some sort of connection, something to help him move forward after rescuing Ichigo from the hell he'd been trapped in. Uryu wanted to erase Szayel's empty promises and filthy, perverted words from his mind. No, he wanted to stop being empty inside. He wanted Shinji to fill him in every way.

"Please…gods…suck me, Shinji. Fuck, suck me, then fuck me until I can't fuckin' stand up…" he moaned, thrusting his hips upward at the mouth waiting above him.

Shinji arched a brow and descended on the weeping organ before him, swallowing him in one swift motion, getting the most beautiful sound from his reddened lips as he swirled and sucked. Shinji reached into the crevice of the couch and pulled out a bottle of lube, popping the cap and slicking his fingers while his mouth worked the man over. Above, Uryu was barely holding on as Shinji moved over him like silk. He barely noticed when a cool finger slipped inside, but the second burned a bit and he moaned, but the pleasure overrode the pain.

"Sh-Shin…gonna…gonna…p-please…" he moaned and Shinji came off with a loud sucking pop and winked at him.

Then, without notice he forced the third of his fingers into the waiting body, which tensed around him this time. "Shit, relax, Uryu, fuck…gonna break my damn fingers," he hissed.

Uryu tried and finally managed, feeling those digets doing what he'd done to others several times. Slowly, they massaged him open, pulling and pushing, and then brushing the sensitive bundle of nearves, getting a load gasp from him.

"There we go," Shinji said and pulled his fingers out. Uryu's eyes were clouded and blown with lust. Shinji stood, slicking himself with the lube, moaning at his own touch. "Over," he commanded the dark haired boy.

Uryu complied, kneeling on the couch, draping his body over the back of it. Shinji stared at him for a long moment, hands tracing over the back and his ass until his finger found his entrance again and he roughly slipped all three fingers into him at once, getting a groan from him. Shinji smiled. Oh, he did like it a little rough, did he? He pulled his fingers out and lined himself up, sheathing himself into the tightness without warning, getting a wanton moan from the boy. He leaned forward, peppering his back and neck with searing, hot and wet kisses, licking and sucking at every inch of flesh he could find as he held himself still, fighting the urge to just fuck in through the back of the couch. After a while he pushed back against him with a moan, head draped over his arms in complete submission to Shinji's will. He pulled back and rammed into him with enough force to rock the couch back a little, eliciting the most enticing scream of pleasure he'd ever heard as he slammed into his prostate with that hard thrust.

"Fuck! Shin…oh fuck," the boy moaned loudly, wiggling his hips and bucking hard into him.

Shinji grinned and set a punishing rhythm, slamming into the sweet spot again and again until he was a writhing mess under him, begging to be touched to let him come, to please please let him come. Shinji himself was so close he grinned and thrust rapidly into his prostate, his goal to get him to come without having been touched at all. Rose had taught him that little trick…

He leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Come, Uryu, come for me," he said, licking his earlobe and he felt the body tighten hard around him, the internal muscles clamping his cock harder than he thought possible as the younger of the two shot himself into the back of the couch with a soundless scream, head thrown back on Shinji's shoulder. Shinji thrust once more and felt the world shatter into white shards and he was panting on Uryu's back, and the dark haired boy was panting under him.

"Oh fuck," Uryu groaned. "That…wow."

"So much for exclusively topping, huh?" Shinji asked, pulling out of him before he got hard again, a distinct possibility if he didn't move. He flopped onto the couch and pulled Uryu over into his lap, surprising the boy.

"Shinji…" he said, looking up with wide eyes.

"No, this wasn't just a frustration fuck," Shinji answered the look. "I mean, yeah, I guess so, but I want something more. I've been trying to connect and I can't seem to do it. And others, outside of the Kiss Home, they don't get us. But you…you accept what happened to Ichigo, you fight for him, and that…that is something rare with us. Most the time we're abandoned as broken, and we are, don't get me wrong, we're broke as fuck. But if you want…I think we might be able to fix each other."

Uryu wrinkled his brow now. "Fix each other?"

Shinji sighed and laid his head back on the couch. "You don't fool us for a minute. You forget who we are, _what_ we are. You knew Ichigo was troubled because you yourself are troubled in a different way. Cold, distant father. Mother is gone, and though he doesn't hit you, he neglects you and berates you constantly, leaving you feeling cold and empty inside. That's why you're looking for someone to protect you, hold you, fill the empty spaces, and no one yet has been able to because they didn't understand why you felt empty or what you were seeking. I know."

Uryu was again amazed. "You…you're very observant."

A grin passed the blond's lips. "Yeah, I was one of the first kids here, I saw a lot, and that wasn't counting the kids that came through and moved on to an entirely different home after they were transferred out. I had learned as a kid when I was being used as a drug mule to watch people. It made a difference in life or death. I saw people shot for twitching at the wrong time. I became observant."

Uryu relaxed and put his head into the crook of his neck, curling around him. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. Maybe. The next few days will set the stage for what has to be done," he said, petting the dark locks under his fingers.

"I hope so. He's the closest to a brother I ever had…" he said softly.

"Well, guess that makes us incestuous huh, since I claim the Berry-bro as my little brother. Oh well, wouldn't be the first brother I fucked around here…" he said, glancing up at the ceiling. He felt Uryu stiffen. "Ah, don't worry. Rose and I had a thing for a while. Fell away, he's too fem for me."

"That's good, because I'm not keen on sharing…" Uryu murmured into his chest and Shinji grinned, still petting his head gently.

The peace didn't last, however. An soft alarm sounded from his watch. That alarm only meant one thing, and it sent Shinji scrambling for his clothes and tossing them at Uryu who was staring wide eyed at him.

"Ichigo," was all he said as he hit the door and ran into the hall, Uryu on his heels.

oooooo - Ichigo's Room – oooooo

After Tessai wrapped his wrists, Ichigo had fallen asleep. It was a deep sleep and Tessai stood because it was time to cook lunch for everyone. He carefully switched on all the monitors and cameras and pressed the button to let Kisuke know he was leaving the room. In antoher room, Kisuke's phone buzzed and he saw that it was the signal that the room Ichigo was in was activated. He turned and flicked on the monitors and the speakers. He watched as Tessai left the room, shutting the door carefully behind him. Kisuke thought about going to the room, but he had to finish the paperwork on the two new kids before the day was out. Everyone was exhausted, too. He had been working about ten minutes when he heard the scream from the speaker. He looked up to see Ichigo was caught in an obvious nightmare. He stood up and headed out to the room.

_The figure stood over him. Ichigo was lost in an ocean, drowning actually. But it looked weird, the world was tilted crazily sideways and he was on the side of a skyscraper as water rushed to fill the world around him. On a higher spot his father stood._

_"Worthless! Look at you? What use are you now!" he screamed at him, and Ichigo felt the water carry him upward toward his father. "One little hurt or two and you're about done. How pathetic, how truly pathetic can you be? You're no son of mine. My father is strong, you met him. My brother is too. You…you are just a broken toy."_

_Another voice ran loudly. "Even broken toys are fun to play with…"_

_He started to cry out then, but no sound emerged, only tears and quiet sobs as he sucked water steadily into his lungs, but he found he wasn't dying. Not yet._

_"One who protects? What, all you are is a faggot, Strawberry fits you better, nothing but a pussy after all. How disappointing. I already have two girls, I don't need a third. Your mother would be disappointed, you are pathetic, weak, and worthless. You cried while you fucked those girls, what kind of man are you? That's right, you aren't a man! Disgusting! You dared call yourself my son?"_

_The figure was morphing though, between his dad and Aizen, the voice mixing of the two. The man who had hurt him, and the man who made him hurt him. He didn't know which was worse… He wanted to cry out, to scream, to tell him to shut up, that it wasn't true…but he couldn't._

_Because finally the morphing figure stopped shifting and he was looking at his own reflection. That was when he screamed._

He sat bolt upright with the scream and tumbled off the bed. He couldn't do this. Not anymore. The nightmares were back. The dreams of the sideways world covered in water with the mirror image of himself that told him how worthless and weak he was, spewing his father's words and then some back at him in an edgy voice. No, no, he couldn't do this again. Bathroom, he though, there had to be a razor in the bathroom. He had to end it. He had to stop it. He couldn't take it, and he couldn't help how weak he was. He hoped his sisters could forgive him for what he was going to do. He knew it would break their hearts, but what choice did he have?

He stumbled into the bathroom, and rummaged through and found nothing but safety razors. But then, he found a pair of scissors. Not as good as a razor, would hurt more, but he deserved the pain, after all. He slammed the bathroom door hard and locked it tightly. He was dimly aware of the door to the room sliding open and Kisuke's voice asking if he was okay. He shook his head. He wasn't okay, but everyone else would be okay very soon. How could he even think of subjecting them to his presence. The darkness; it was coming on and he couldn't' stop it. Well, he could, but only this way. And he would because he wouldn't hurt the others. He'd stolen Karin and Yuzu's futures. His mother was dead because of him. His father was dead because of him. He wouldn't let anyone else suffer or die for him, not anymore.

The first cut didn't go deep enough. He growled, ripping the bandages off his wrists and planted the tip of the scissorcs firmling into the vein he could see on his wrist and pressed as hard as he could, dragging it from wrist to elbow with a thick shriek tearing from him. Goddammit that hurt! If he'd had a razor he wouldn't have felt it but the scissors were nowhere near as sharp.

There was beating on the bathroom door. Kisuke's voice and then another voice. He thought it sounded like Shiro. The door vibrated heavily. He moved and used his now bleeding left arm to try and cut into the right but he guessed he'd done something to the nerves because he couldn't dig the point in very far at all. Of course that might have had something to do with the dizziness that was starting to overcome him. He glanced down, surprised by how much blood was pouring out of the wound. He stood mesermerized that he ddn't notice with the door opened and he looked up, left arm held in front of his face and his right barely holding to the bloody scissors.

"Ichigo!" he heard and looked up to see Shiro coming toward him and he couldn't figure why he'd do that, then he realized he was being caught. When'd he fallen? He wasn't sure, but there was a loud clatter as the scissors hit the floor. Then he was looking up into worried eyes of black and gold. He reached a bloody hand up and smiled at him.

"Your eyes…" he whispered, and Shiro's pale brow furrowed. "Most…beautiful thing…I ever saw…" he said, his own eyes slipping closed. The last he heard was both him and someone else calling his name franticly.


	9. Chapter 9: Breathe Just Breathe

_A/N: This story is taking a life of its own. Really. Okay, fair warning, I said ten chapters, but I don't know that I can accomplish this in ten. It may be more. This became a massive undertaking that started from the fic request, which was technically completed in the first chapter. But things are gaining depth at a rapid pace. So please, if I can make a request, if there is ANYTHING unclear or you think could use further explanation, let me know._

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

_Breathe. Just Breathe._

* * *

Shiro had never felt his world explode in internal agony before like the moment when the small alarm secured to his wrist beeped urgently waking him from his slumber across Grimmjow's lap. After he'd left Ichigo, he had went to him in their shared room where he was reading for class. He laid across him and fell quickly asleep, exhaustion sweeping his body. He was on alert when the alarm rang though. Kisuke had given one to him and Shinji. They were because of Ichigo, because they knew he was closest to them. Both Grimmjow and him raced into the room to find Kisuke looking rather frantic and beating on the door of the bathroom.

"What happened?" Shiro asked, his voice betraying the internal panic he was feeling.

Kisuke shook his head. "He was having a nightmare, I got here and he was locking himself in the bathroom. He won't answer, and I'm afraid that he might hurt himself…."

Shiro ran to the door and beat on it hard. "Ichi-berry, open up for godsakes!"

He heard a shriek from inside then and Grimmjow and him shared one look and slammed into the door with full force. It took a couple hits and it exploded inward. Ichigo was standing, his right hand loosely gripping a set of opened scissors, the ones they had for cutting hair, and his left arm was dripping blood at an alarming rate. He gasped as he realized he'd ripped his arm open from wrist to inner elbow. The cut was jagged and raw; the scissors obviously not sharp enough to make a clean cut. But he'd managed to cut open the vein. The flood of red was spreading.

Behind him he heard Kisuke yell for Tessai and to grab the emergency kit. Shiro stood transfixed for a moment as Ichigo swayed, eyes beginning to flutter. "Ichigo!" he called and dashed forward, nearly slipping in the blood as he caught him just as his knees collapsed. What got the albino boy the most, though, was the look of surprise and shock on his face. Then he reached and caressed his face and told him his eyes were beautiful and went completely slack. Shiro let out a strangled cry.

Grimmjow was there, urging Shiro to get up, get him out of the tiny bathroom, Tessai was there with his kit, they'd sent for an ambulance to get him to their room at Karakura Genreal, Ryuken was meeting them there, the only one they trusted at the hospital currently. They were unsure if any other doctors would hold a grudge against Ichigo, seeing him as at fault for their friend and colleague's absence and subsequent death.

Shiro nodded and they dragged the limp form out and Tessai was tying a tourniquet around his arm to stem the now sluggish flow of blood. He didn't see when Shinji pulled him away gently, speaking to him, and though panicked himself, he tried to calm the younger boy. Uryu stood nearby, hands folded together, unsure what to do, guilt washing over him completely; he should have been here, not…not… Shinji put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head and Uryu sighed. They didn't need more casualties today sent to the hospital. Ichigo's breath was shallow and his heartbeat rapid, and it seemed to take forever, when it was only five minutes, until the door burst open and a paramedic crew was there lifting him and starting an IV immediately. Tessai was riding with them, he told them the boy was not being let out of his sight for a moment. The grudgingly agreed and then they were gone.

Shiro stood blinking, hands slack at his sides and then he lifted them, looking at the bright red staining the white of his hands. Ichigo's blood. Ichigo's _life _was staining his hands. It dripped and slid, and his arms were covered, his pants soaked through at the knee down to his bloody soaked socks. And that was when he lost it. Completely, totally lost it, screaming out suddenly, hands burying themselves in his white hair, spreading crimson throughout as he tugged on the white strands, his head whipping violently back and forth until he back himself into the wall.

Grimmjow and Shinji were there, both whispering to him that he was okay. But he wasn't okay, was he? He'd left him alone, and he might _die_ before Shiro got a chance to tell him how dear he was to his heart already even though it had only been a few days. Grimmjow and him, they'd been different. Their love had grown over time, but Ichigo…no it had happened the moment he stood in front of the class and felt the electricity pass between him and Grimmjow both at the boy. Something tugged his heart toward him, made him talk to Kisuke about him, made him want to help him, and then heal him. He didn't understand. He never felt this kind of thing before.

Grimmjow was holding tight to the smaller boy, crying himself. He'd seen the desperation that Shiro had clung to Ichigo with. Perhaps only he would see it, just because he knew every detail of Shiro's insecurities and emotions. Grimmjow was the only one who knew the sarcastic, hot headed albino boy like that, but he suspected Kisuke knew, and that was why he'd set them together. He knew they needed each other, and knew that Grimmjow had a desperate need. He took care of Shiro. Shiro was his to protect, had been since Shiro asked him with a broken sob at eleven to protect him. Shiro needed protecting, but now, Shiro had found someone who needed _him_ even more than he needed Grimmjow. The albino boy never said anything, but Grimmjow knew. He knew the look on his face of pride when he'd come back from talking to him. And he knew the look of guilt crossing those pale cheeks now, those exotic eyes flashing with fear, anger, self-hatred, self-blame. But what could he do except hold him through it?

Shinji sat on the floor, blood transferring from Shiro to both him and Grimmjow. Grimmjow's eyes were watering heavily and he was clutching the weeping boy for everything he was worth. Shinji knew, of course, of the relationship his two little brothers shared. They depended deeply on each other for everything, and honestly, neither let anyone else close to being inside their space. Until Ichigo. For some reason, he had affected them all in unusual ways. They were desperate to protect him. Perhaps it was because he was the one who had endured to protect others. Even when he got to Aizen's, his first thougths were to protect the two kids who were with him, not himself. He wouldn't leave if they hadn't taken them. Even then, broken and hurting beyond belief, his thoughts were for Nel and Wonderweiss. It very nearly broke Shinji's heart because he knew beyond a doubt what happened.

The only thing keeping Ichigo going had been his fierce protection of others. And now everyone was safe. His father was dead, so no one was going to come after him or his sisters from there. Aizen was dead, again, no one would threaten him, his friends, or his sisters. His sisters had a new family. Nel and Wonderweiss were free and had a family now. He felt useless, and without something to keep him going, the pain and anguish overpowered him finally. A dream, nightmare, had been the last straw. He understood all too well how one's own mind could take you to the breaking point. Shinji sighed deeply and stared down at his own wrists where a fine scar stood out, just barely, around the inside of his wrists, almost indiscernible now.

_Desperation. The boy stood in the bathroom, staring down at a straight razor he'd found in the park the day before feeling nothing but desperation. The nightmares had been bad last night. So bad, in fact, that he found himself staring at a dirty straight razor in the bathroom attached to the room he and Hachi shared. The older boy was sleeping, snoring loudly._

_The day before, at the park, before the razor had been found, he'd been on the swings with Lisa and Hachi. Kisuke was talking with Yuorichi over on the bench, watching them. Then several bigger boys had come up. Shinji had never been big, and even at seven, he looked more like a five year old. Hachi, though, he was already half grown at ten years old and the size of most teenagers. He'd also gained a bit of girth, which considering how underweight he'd been, was quite the miracle._

_"Hey, you," came the voice of one of the older boys. Shinji looked up._

_"You're those kids from that home down the street aren't ya?" asked another._

_Shinji and Hachi exchanged glances and nodded slowly. There was little use in lying. "So your mommy and daddy not want you?" asked a third bow. _

_Shinji shook his head. "Our parents are all dead, asshole," he said softly._

_He laughed then. "Poor widdle orphans. You know, I think that's what they told you. I bet you were dumped on that old faggot's doorstep and left by people because you're worthless and weak. I think that's what it was."_

_Hachi's eyes had already filled with tears. He may have been bigger, but he was by far the most emotionally fragile of the group. Lisa slid backward from the seat and ran to Kisuke for help. _

_"He's our foster father," Shinji growled. "And he takes care of us."_

_"Nah, the fuckin' state pays him do that, dumb ass, he doesn't care, he's fuckin' paid to deal with you little shits," the oldest boy said in a harsh whisper then they were running, because Kisuke was there, hugging both Hachi and him to his chest and taking them home. To their home. Shinji had seen the razor in the grass and picked it up when Kisuke went to unlock the car. He knew he should give it to him, but he just couldn't. He pocketed it instead._

_Then, that night, the dreams came. The boys teasing him, his own insecurities about how Kisuke felt for him, memories of the way his real parents had beaten him and told him similar things when he was little. It may have been his mind creating the words though, because he didn't remember much from before Kisuke took him in. He'd woken in a sweat and gone to the bathroom._

_As the first drop of blood hit the floor the door opened and Kisuke was there, dragging him out, pressing towels to his bleeding wrists as he took him to the kitchen. Tessai was there, looking it over and a shot of local anesthetic and he watched in fascination as Tessai sewed together the flesh again, only a tugging sensation where pain should be. That night, he'd slept in Kisuke's bed, curled into the blond man's arms, and he had no more nightmares._

Shinji blinked, wiping his own tears away. "Come on, Shiro, to the bath, you need to clean up so I can take you two to the hospital." His own teasing words to Ichigo came back, when he'd told him that his boyfriends were waiting on him to get home. He swallowed a lump. Until now, he didn't realize how true his words really had been.

oooooo Karakura General oooooo

Ryuken was half asleep sitting at the lunch table when his phone rang obnoxiously loud. He'd been here almost ten hours already, and it was close to getting off. He really didn't need Urahara buzzing in his ear at the moment. He'd already had a long talk with Yamamoto the night before. At least they agreed that he shouldn't take on any of Isshin's kid. He had a little bit of smug satisfaction in knowing that the man who had murdered (although through malpractice) his wife was dead himself. But there was a part of him that regretted feeling that, for the sake of the three children he left behind.

"Urahara, not in the mood," he growled.

The panicked tone, however set him straight up, all vestiges of sleepiness sent scampering to the farthest corner his brain. "Ryuken, please, Ichigo tried to kill himself. They're on their way, I need you to intercept and take his care. I can't trust anyone in that hospital not to take out Isshin's arrest on him. You know as well as I do what could happen and no one would ever be the wiser to it."

"Certainly," was all he said, moving now to the emergency room where he asked about an incoming ambulance. He hoped Kisuke was being overly cautious. But he heard the malice in the voice of the ER attending when he said it was Isshin's son with a suicide attempt. He didn't react to the murmured comment of him dying like he deserved for what he did to Isshin. He informed him that he was taking over his care. When the attending protested, he used his position as under the direct order of Captain Urahara himself. That shut him up. No one wanted to mess with Urahara. Especially if they wanted to remain employed in the same town as he was.

In the few days since the eccentric man took over in Karakura, the rumors had flown about like crazy. Most were untrue, but enough held truth that anyone in their right mind would tread carefully around the man. There were mysterious disappearances, arrests, accidents, and sudden unemployment that followed people that crossed him. Some were true, others coincidence, but it didn't matter. The name Captain Kisuke Urahara struck fear into those who worked with or around children. He was a man to fear.

He caught sight of the obnoxiously orange mop of hair as the gurney moved in and he was immediately by the side of it, the paramedics looking at him strangely and they looked a little unsettled. Then he noticed the massive form of Tessai behind them. That would explain things. The man was quiet but imposing.

"Private Agency room, now," Ryuken demanded. The National Agency had a secluded ER room and two rooms upstairs along with one ICU room. No one was allowed use of the four rooms except for them.

Nurses came to him and he held up his hands. "Tessai, scrub in. No nurses, thank you."

"But..but Dr. Isshida! You need nurses in there with you! Who's this guy?" the head nurse protested.

"He's a doctor, and he's the only person I trust at the moment to be in the same room as this kid. Got it? Don't like it, call Captain Urahara."

She visibly paled and left. Nurses more often dealt with the Shinigami than the doctors. And they were more apt at losing their jobs without reason than doctors were. He smiled. He honestly hated that woman. Tessai entered, scrubbed and gloved, and nodded to him. They set to work.

Two hours later, Ryuken had let Kisuke know they had to transfuse him and he was in surgery to repair the damage he'd inflicted on his arm. The nerve was damaged because he'd dug in so deep. The rest of the damage Ryuken knew was from the previous two encounters, and it was no wonder the boy had tried to kill himself. Even as he stood in surgery, stitching the ragged flesh together after cleansing the long wound of debris and who knows what else, he felt a pang of hurt.

Ryuken knew he wasn't the best father. His grandfather had been Uryu's parental figure. When he died, he knew Uryu took it hard, but no harder than Ryuken himself. Except he didn't show it. And it made him cold when he lost his wife. When he looked at Uryu he saw her, and it killed him inside. And he did what he had to do. Which was push his son away and dive into work. It was the wrong thing to do. But his heart couldn't take it anymore. Best to just shut it down. But now, bandaging the boy he always thought had a father that adored him (because before his mother died, Isshin had doted on his only son), and to find the evidence that it wasn't true on the scarred body before him…it did something to the white haired man.

Tessai stood back, arms folded as Ryuken finished and bandaged the wound with more gentleness than necessary. He then turned his hands over and looked at the wounds around his wrists. He looked up at Tessai with a questioning brow. "His father or Aizen?"

"Aizen's women. They handcuffed him when he refused to cooperate. Nearly broke both of them from the pressure he put on them," he said softly.

"What did they do?" he asked, beginning to bandage the skin there as well.

"They wanted him to give them an heir to the three families. Three of them forced him into sex with them. I've already sent away the STD and HIV tests. It was Madam Cirucci and her two twisted lieutenants, Loly and Menoly. We have them in custody. They've been given doses of pro-estrogen to prevent pregnancy, but if they're already pregnant, not much can be done. The blood work should be back today," he said softly.

Ryuken's brow furrowed. He knew from Uryu the boy was gay. To have his father rape him so violently, then to have three women do the same… He hadn't known the extent. Only that he'd been captured and rescued. This made his attempt even clearer. He looked at Tessai and shook his head.

"You realize that he may not be able to be saved, even by Kisuke," he said softly, fingers tracing the bruising on his face, obviously from a gag. It was beginning to grow darker. He'd seen it several times when he worked with rape victims and recognized it well.

Tessai swallowed. "I know. So does Kisuke, he's not unaware. It wouldn't be the first one we couldn't save, you know. And it might not be the last. But we have to try, you know that Ryuken."

Ryuken knew what he meant. About five years ago they'd rescued a young man, thirteen, that had been drugged to the gills and used as a sex slave at a brothel. He'd attempted suicide three times, and finally succeeded on the fourth try. Ryuken had been the attending each time by the request of the local Shinigami, a woman named Unohana. Kisuke had been brought in, but by that point, the boy was too far gone. He would have been one of Urahara's if he had lived.

"I should go talk to Urahara," he said and nodded to Tessai, who had installed himself in the too small, uncomfortable chair in the corner. He knew better than to ask him to leave. No one was allowed in except for those Urahara allowed.

He went to the waiting room and was surprised. All eight of the Visored were there, which in itself wasn't such a strange thing. What was strange was the fact that Uryu was sitting next the one with the cropped blond hair, his hand wrapped up in his. Of coruse, he knew his son, like his cousin, preferred men. That fact didn't bother Ryuken, what did bother him was the amount of times he'd had to run STD screenings for Uryu after the boy came home from one night stands. But as he paused and watched, there was a tenderness in the blonde man's touch, because really, he was at least eight or nine years older than Uryu. But he knew Uryu was seeking something because every man was over eighteen that he ended up sleeping with. But this, he could see there was more to it than sex. Shinji, he thought the blond Visored name was, had his fingers interlaced with Uryu's and spoke softly to him, his face calm though his eyes betrayed his own fear.

The rest of their group, the two girls, Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo's hotheaded best friend Renji, and the silent giant of a kid Sado all sat near the others. Kisuke himself sat, head in his hands, and Ryuken knew how he was fretting for his newest "son". But by far the most obviously in pain of those in the room were the two other boys. The albino boy he'd met the one day with Kisuke was there, and he'd had the first impression that he was a sarcastic snot. But as he watched, his hands trembled visibly, and the taller and broader boy beside him was obviously trying to soothe him but Ryuken saw he was trembling as well. As he drew closer, both had eyes red and puffy, and the albino boy had fresh tears as he grew closer.

"I shoulda stayed with him, Grimmy, I shoulda been there," he said softly.

Grimmjow reached out and petted a hand over his now clean white hair. It had taken Grimmjow bodily wrestling the smaller boy into a shower to get him in there, protesting all the way and sobbing that there wasn't time, they needed to go. Shinji had helped, Uryu standing aside, giving them privacy, though Shiro seemed not to care who saw him naked at that moment. He didn't want to get into the shower even though red blood stood out stark on his white flesh and they told him they could not walk into a hospital looking like that. Eventually, all three of them ended up showering together because they were all a mess.

Once the blood was gone, Shiro seemed to calm somewhat. Without the stimulus of Ichigo's blood on his skin, he seemed to gain more control of himself and even started cracking jokes at Shinji about showering with him. Shinji scoffed and slapped his ass hard enough to leave an angry red hand print and Grimmjow giggled at him. They came out in towels and he saw Uryu still in their bedroom looking a little uncomfortable.

"Hey, tell yer boyfriend not to slap my ass!" he yelled, dropping his towel and showing off the bright red mark on his white flesh.

Uryu glared at Shinji who gaped at Shiro. "That was our little secret, ya brat!" he said and Grimmjow was howling with laughter finally, forgetting and dropping his own towel.

"Holy fuck, dude, you're naturally blue haired!" Uryu said, startled out of his scowl by the sight of the other boy's extremely blue pubes.

Grimmjow snorted, grabbing his towel and replacing it. "You think I'd dye this shit just so I could get beat up?" he muttered.

Uryu shook his head. "Nah, just Renji and Ichigo…they're both natural too. And before you ask, yes, by that I mean the curtains match the drapes on them too."

Shinji leaned back, still naked himself while the two boys found their own clothes. "Oh, so you've seen both of them naked, have you?" he asked with a smirk.

Uryu blushed. "Well, yeah, we have gym and I've seen them change and in the showers…"

"And you were looking, weren't you, you little pervert," Shinji teased, tossing his wet towel at him and walking out into the area completely naked. There was a female screech.

"Fuck, Shinji! Put on some damn clothes! Gross, last thing I wanna see is cock'n'balls!" came Mashiro's voice from the hall followed by a sound smack.

"Dammit Mashiro, that hurt!" came Shinji's retort.

"You're lucky it was your ass and not your cock!" she responded. She walked past the doors and she heard her muttering about nasty boys and their nasty penis and dangling bits.

Uryu snorted despite the black mood that had descended on him. But soon a fully dressed Shinji that still made Uryu's mouth go dry (seriously, did he have to wear the tightest jeans he owned?) returned, and Shiro and Grimmjow were both ready. They set out to Shinji's personal car which made Uryu stop and stare.

"Nice, huh? Kisuke got it for my birthday a few years ago. She's my baby. Only woman who makes me hard," he said with an arched brow. It was a red and black _American_ sports car, Uryu had no idea what kind, but it was something you didn't see much around here.

"It's a firebird. Kisuke thought it was appropriate," Shinji said, getting in and the others followed suit. They let Uryu have the front and squeezed into the backseat. The engine purred to life and they were off. The ride was smooth. He forgot the others were in the back seat.

"This is a really cool car…" he said absently, stroking a hand over the dash.

"Hum, yeah, wait until I have you pinned to the back seat screaming," Shinji said causally, causing a bright flush to pain Uryu's face as giggles erupted from the back. "Oi, and you two will _not _break in my backseat before I do, fuckers!" he told them.

Now they waited. Uryu was surprised to feel a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see his father.

"Father!" he exclaimed, sitting up straighter and trying to release Shinji's hand. Instead, Shinji held tighter.

Kisuke got up, followed by Shiro and Grimmjow. The rest opted to stay where they were as to not crowd the man who was trying to patch their friend and brother up.

"Urahara," Ryuken said, bobbing a head at him. "He's recovering from the surgery in the west room upstairs. The surgery went well, I repaired the damage, but the nerve damage may be permanent, I simply can't tell yet. Tessai is with him and oversaw the transfer to the new room as I left. No other staff has been allowed to touch him."

Kisuke nodded, waiting for the most important issue. Was he going to wake up?

Ryuken sighed. "I…can't say when he'll wake. The anesthesia has worn off, and he should be awake, but the blood loss may have been too much of a shock for his body to cope with. He's not on life support, he's breathing on his own still, but I need you to be prepared for the eventuality that he may not come out of it. I am hopeful, though, but he's going to have to want to come out of it, Kisuke. I think you understand what that means."

Kisuke nodded. "I know. And it doesn't mean he won't try again if he does wake up," he said morosely. Shinji stood and took his "father" by the hand.

"Boss, he'll wake up. I woke up and I stayed," Shinji said softly, Uryu frowning and staring at him. Shinji smiled at him, turning his wrists over, and taking Uryu's hand and brushing fingers over the thin scars there. "I was young, and scared, and so is Ichigo."

"But not all of you do," Kisuke said and everyone in the room heard the heartbreak in his voice. "I've lost too many already. Vale, Kerry, Daniel, and the last, Hinto…" he said softly. "I tried so hard to save Hinto…"

Mashiro put a hand on Kisuke's arm. "I stayed too, remember?"

Kisuke looked at her with tears glimmering in his eyes, turning her arms over which if one looked close had lines of scars from her shoulder all the way to her wrist where thicker ones were hidden in the creases of the skin. "I stopped for you," she said, hugging him. "I stopped because you were so scared."

"I know, I know, but…" he said softly.

"And you have to take care of the two new brats, and Ichigo's dumb ass has to be there for that. Nel's already told me he's the only one she likes," Shinji said, arching a brow.

Mashiro grinned evilly then and stared at Shinji. "Oh by the way, Boss, Shinji and Uryu are dating. Well if you call Shinji screwing Uryu senseless in the study earlier today dating."

Shinji blinked and dropped his jaw. "You hussy!" he hissed.

"Next time you come out of someone else's room naked, cover your junk. I'm a lesbian for a reason. That's nasty!" she said, flicking her green hair and going to sit down beside Hiyori.

"That…oh, you little…" A hand on his shoulder stopped him and he was staring at Kisuke's laughing grey eyes.

"Shinji, shh," he said softly. "Let me enjoy some joy of today, knowing that one of my kids has found someone to love," he said with a wink at the red faced and mortified expression.

Ryuken hid a smile. In all his times walking in on his son, or hearing someone talk about sex in front of him with his son, he had _never_ seen him blush. He hadn't been sure that he had an embarrassed bone in his body. But it seemed he was in this relationship for more than sex and cared what everyone thought of it.

"Father!" he squeaked when Ryuken put a hand on his shoulder. "I…I…" he stammered.

"Well, obviously, son, this isn't one of your casual…encounters, though I've been through enough of those for my liking," he said glancing at Shinji who had a bemused look on his face.

Ryuken glanced at Shinji and sighed. "I'm actually going to surprise you and tell you to watch out for _my _son, rather than the other way," he said to which Kisuke quirked a brow. "He has a tendency to run from commitment. So good luck," he said and turned for the elevator.

"Okay, we can go up four at a time, it is a double room, and Tessai is up there, so I'll go up with…Shiro and Grimm?" he asked, looking at the pair who stood close to each other, hands entwined with each other. "Then I'll come down and someone else can go up."

They headed up and went into the west part, down the corridors until they came to the double room at the end of the hallway. They went in and as soon as Shiro came into the room he started to cry again. Grimmjow didn't say anything, just squeezed his hands tighter.

Kisuke went up and brushed the orange hair from his face. The black eye he'd had was starting to fade to a nasty shade of green and the bruising on his jaw was slightly better. He looked up at Tessai who had ensconced himself in the corner with a stack of maganizes like a twoer that would not move for the world. Kisuke smiled to himself.

"Ichigo," he said quietly, running hands through his hair again. "Listen, I understand why you did this. I do. But…can you come back for me? Because I can't take losing anyone right now. And Nel is asking for you every chance she gets. Your sisters are beside themselves with worry too. I know you told me that you didn't need to protect anyone anymore. And that's true. Now it is our turn to take care of you for a while, okay? I'm going to let Shiro and Grimmjow sit with you. I'm sure I won't dislodge their stubborn asses until you wake up, so I hope you don't tire of their company."

He stood and nodded to them and went down, intending to send Uryu and Shinji up next. He knew the pair wouldn't leave him.

"Hey, Ichi-berry," Shiro said, tangling his fingers in the orange hair. "Listen, you gotta come back, I'm a fuckin' mess, okay? I didn't even get to tell you what I've been thinkin' since we met the other day. And here I fuckin' thought the only person I'd ever care about would be Grimmy, but I'll be damned if your stupid ass didn't break me down. And now I don't know what to do. I…I gave up caring about anyone but Grimmy, and then…then I just wanted to hold you and talk to you and…and…kiss away all the tears and help you so badly, Ichi-berry. I just…I just want someone that needs me like I need Grimmy. And Grimmy will take care of you too. 'Course he likes occasional pussy, don't tell him I told ya that though," he said, hearing a huffed snort behind him. "But…I…gods Ichi, I think I might actually be able to love you as much as I love him."

Grimmjow pulled his chair to the other side and mirrored Shiro's actions, running hands over his orange hair, fingers tangling with Shiro's eventually and they sat, hands interlaced over Ichigo's head, his orange hair splayed through their fingers. Shinji opened the door and smiled at the sight, pulling Uryu behind with him.

"Ichi-bro, man, you gotta come back, these sad sacks are getting on my nerves," he announced, sitting down beside the unconscious boy's legs. "Also, apparently Uryu's dad isn't as uptight as I thought. He took the news that I was fuckin' his son into next week pretty well. Guess your friend Rukia was right when she said he was a right man-whore."

Uryu smacked him on the back of the head, getting an "ow" out of him. "Don't listen to him, Ichi. Just…I want you to come back. We don't care, none of us, we just want you back."

After several more scenes of the like, all those present had gone in for short visits before they were all instructed to go home and sleep by Tessai. The next day, Kisuke promised they could come back and bring the younger ones with them, including Nel and Wonderweiss.

Kisuke had slumped in the seat beside Tessai and watched as Shiro and Grimmjow flipped through the TV channels, still seated on either side of Ichigo's bed, obviously with no intention to move.

"So did you get the exams on the two kids from Aizen's compound done?" Kisuke asked, glancing at the big man.

"I did. The girl, Nel, she looks to be about nine, maybe ten, but her development was stunted and she has a mentality closer to that of about a six or seven year old child. The other one, Wonderweiss she called him, may be autistic, I haven't completed the assessments. I think Nel's development has been stunted by her environment, though, and she has speech issues. With some therapy, she may eventually catch up, much like Shinji and Lisa did. The boy…time will tell. I place his age around eleven or twelve. Maybe as much as thirteen. Hard to tell, his teeth have been worked on by someone with some sloppy results."

Kisuke nodded. "I'm not sure that I can handle ten kids," he muttered slowly.

"You might not have to," a voice said from the doorway. He looked up to see Kaien and his wife standing there, a thin and somewhat plain woman with black hair.

"Kaien," he said standing.

"Poor child," his wife said softly. Kisuke thought ah, Miyako was her name.

"Miyako, I havne't seen you in a while," Kisuke said, bowing slightly to her.

"We've been talking," Kaien said soflty. "I understand that normally you only house kids that have been put in truly trying situations. And Miyako…we recently found we cannot have children."

Kisuke's eyes flashed with pain, his own situation reflected before him in this couple. "Ah, I see, but you must realize I cannot let you take on Ichigo's care…" he said, glancing at the boy. Both Shiro and Grimmjow were paying rapt attention.

"Of course, we wouldn't dream of removing him. He needs you and your knowledge to get through this. No, Miyako and I would like to ask if…we'd like to take in the twins. I understand they were never mistreated, and there is little reason for them to stay with you other than Ichigo," he said clutching Miyako's hand.

Kisuke looked thoughtful. "It is up to them, but separating them, and you live north of Tokyo…and with you captaining the Division…"

Kaien smiled. "We've decided I'll step down if we take them in, and move here to Karakura so as not to disrupt their lives and keep them close to their brother. And if you'll let me, I'd like to be transferred as a permanent member of your division so I can be close to Ichigo and help with the other kids there. Miyako as well. She's currently working under Jushiro in Division 13. She's qualified as a nurse as well."

Kisuke was floored. "I…I'm not sure what to say, except we'll have to talk to them. I can't make that choice, but I agree they would be better off in a more stable and normal family environment than I can offer. The kids I have can't handle that, so… What changed your mind? I thought you said you didn't want anything to do with them?"

Kaien ducked his head, appearing to be ashamed by what he had said before. "I did," Miyako said. "I reminded him that what his brother did to Ichigo was not a reason to sever his ties to his family. I reminded him that he, we, have a responsibility. And with me finally confirming that I can never conceive, I told him that he needed to step up and do the right thing by his brother. Because in the end, he did what no one else could and sacrificed his life to keep his children safe. In the end, he gave some sort of repentance, and it may have been too little, too late, but he did it nonetheless. And those girls, they need to be close to their brother, but the stress of dealing with his situation day in and day out would get to them eventually. They should be able to have a normal childhood despite the horror they've undergone, or as close as we can make it for them."

Kisuke looked up and there were tears in his gray eyes, though it was hard to see as obscured by the hat as they were. "I don't know what to say, just…just thank you."

They spoke a little more and Miyako spoke soothingly to the unconscious boy, fluffing pillows and caressing his cheek. She was a mother through and through, and to imagine her going through life without children was a terrible thought, Kisuke thought, as she sang a gentle lullaby, sending both Grimmjow and Shiro into sleep where they had laid their arms and heads on the bed, each one clasping one of Ichigo's hands.

Kisuke finally bid Tessai goodnight and gave him money to send the boys to the cafeteria in the morning. He headed downstairs and to his own car, thoughtful along the way home. He looked at the dash and realized it was after midnight. How had so much happened in such a short time? He was sure that everyone would be asleep when he got in but he was wrong, Kensai and Shinji sat talking at the kitchen table and looked up when Kisuke entered.

"Hey, Kisuke, what's up?" Shinji said with a smile.

"Had the most unusual talk with Kaien. Him and his wife have offered to move to Karakura, join in our division, and take in Yuza and Karin as their own," he said with a small smile.

"Um, actually," Kensai said, looking up at Kisuke. "I wanted to ask something similar."

Kisuke sat down and frowned at one of his older kids. "I've been talking to Shinji, and I wanted to take in Toshiro, if you thought it a good idea, of course, Boss. I mean, he's a lot like me, and I thought I could help him on my own, without the chaos we have around here. And hell, he'd be here most the time anyway, I imagine, him and Jinta have hit it off. But he's almost fourteen and well, I think we could maybe help each other."

For the second time in one night, Kisuke sat wide eyed and stared. He hadn't expected any of his kids to take in others, but he kind of understood it too. They'd all joined the Visored team to help kids. So it made sense that what Kisuke did, some of them would do as well. He shook his head.

"But how, Kensai, you have a small apartment you share with Shinji?" he said softly.

"Well, since Shinji's got Uryu now, I talked to the girls and we thought maybe that between the four of us, we could get a house and maybe…you know take in a couple more kids that need a little help," he said, looking up with hopeful eyes.

"Ah, son, you know that is a ton of responsibility? You can't just pick up and run a house, you've got to have…" he started.

"Mashiro's going to get a nurse's license, and Hiyori is gonna take the classes so she can do homeschooling, though Toshiro won't need that, and Lisa is plenty good enough to help me with the protection and retrieval. You know that, Kisuke," he said confidently.

Kisuke stared. "This isn't something you've come up with since Toshiro got here, is it?" he asked, picking up on the subtle hints.

Kisuke was sure the boy blushed. No, man. Kensai was twenty four, almost twenty five. "Yeah, well, the girls and I just were thinking out loud one day a month ago and well, they aren't intending on getting married to anyone else, and well, me and Lisa kinda have a thing goin'…"

Kisuke frowned. "Wait, I thought Lisa and Hiyroi were together? Or wait, no it was Mashiro and Lisa…oh...that's right, last I heard they were kinda just all together."

Shinji fixed Kisuke with a look that said plainly _you know?_ Kisuke laughed. "Seriously, you don't think I know these things, Shinji? I knew you and Rose were together, and then I knew the girls were experimenting with each other. Rose and Love were together a bit, and I think they might be going to resume. You and Rose split because Rose is too 'girly' for you if I remember right… And of course, there's Grimmjow and Shiro…and those two are hopelessly in love with each other and now with Ichigo…I doubt once Ichigo is better I'll be able to get a piece of paper between those three…" he said, looking up wistfully.

Kensai and Shinji exchanged a wide eyed glance. "You…wow…I…" Shinji stammered.

"Yeah, well next time you decide to have sex, turn off the cameras in the study, I really didn't need the surprise of running through them and finding you and Uryu nearly breaking my couch…" Kisuke said standing and heading to bed, missing the horrified blush spreading across Shinji's face.

The next morning, Kisuke groaned and reached for his phone which was blasting rudely. He looked at the time. Well, not really morning, more like afternoon, it was almost one. He must have been more exhausted than he thought. He answered.

"Yeah?" he asked, slurring sleepily.

"He's awake, dad, he's awake!" came the teary voice of Shiro and Kisuke's heart clenched. It was the first time any of his kids had called him 'dad'. And even though he swore it didn't matter, his stomach somersaulted at the thought. It wasn't boss. It was dad.

"I'll be there in fifteen, son," he said softly. "Stay with him."


	10. Chapter 10: These Hollow Children

**Sins of the Father**

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_A/N: Lovelies, this is a stopping/pausing point depending on what everyone wants. I have my edits to do but what happens after I'm done editing and adding will be determined by fan requests. I plan an epilogue at least, possibly with a shiroXIchiXGrimm lemon scene if that's what everyone wants, but I might go a few chapters more if there is more you want to see. Please review and let me know._

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**Chapter Ten**

_These Hollow Children_

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Shiro was sitting his silent vigil still, the hand wrapped in his own. Grimmjow was sprawled in the larger chair sleeping. It seemed like the day had taken forever. People came and went, encouraging him to wake up. And today as he sat watching the sunrise from the room he heaved a sigh and hoped that he would wake up. There was so much to live for, if he would just listen to him. They all bore their scars, some bore them better than others, but more than anything, they were a mark of incredible courage. Some of them wore scars inside. Others, proudly outside. Shiro put his head on Ichigo's shoulder and rested for a moment. He wanted more than anything for the boy to want to live. For him.

It was so stupid and unreasonable. Why should he care? He'd known this guy for less than a week, yet something, deep inside, it pulled him to him with a tug unlike any other. Thinking that, he began to fall asleep, head cradled on Ichigo's rising and falling chest.

_"Do you really want to help?" a voice whispered and Shiro's eyes fluttered. He was standing waist deep in water in a tilted world. He looked for the owner and saw a strange dark haired man standing on a pole._

_"What? Who are you?" he asked quietly._

_"It does not matter what my name is, hollow child."_

_Shiro frowned. "Hollow child?" he asked. "What do you mean by that?"_

_The man tilted his head to the side. "You are hollow. So is Grimmjow. So is Ichigo. So are all those abandoned, betrayed and hurt. A hole is left where their heart should be, waiting to be filled."_

_"But, I don't understand," he said quietly._

_"The hollow children, all must find their heart and their spirit. If you find that spirit, you will find everything you are. Except you. You…are different than the other Hollow children. You belong to Ichigo, and he belongs to you. Two halves of the same soul."_

_"But how…I don't understand?" Shiro said, frowning._

_"Name the spirit within, and they will find the salvation they seek, and the hollowness will slowly be filled with it. Ichigo won't listen when I tell him my name…and I'm growing so lonely," he said, looking up as rain began to fall._

_"I don't understand, old man!" Shiro yelled, and he caught sight of movement. _

_He moved toward it and saw Ichigo laying in the water, sunken below the surface with eyes closed much as he been when he'd fallen asleep. Shiro took a breath and dove, deeper and deeper until he thought his lungs would explode. It didn't matter. He had to pull him up. Finally, he wrapped arms around the lax body and almost immediately surfaced, feet finding purchase immediately as he hugged the body against him._

_"Good," said the dark haired man. "Good."_

_"Ichigo!" he screamed at him. "Please, come on, wake for him!" _

_Brown eyes fluttered and his brow crinkled in confusion. "Sh-Shiro?" he whispered, looking up into his eyes._

_"Oh yes, I'm here, Ichi-berry. Please, come on. I need you. The old man says we're two halves of the same soul. And I believe him, and you need to listen to him. Let him help you, us, and we can heal together," he said, clutching the soaking body to him. "I was so scared, I thought you'd died, and I can't lose you now that I've found you."_

_Ichigo returned the hug. "I was so scared. Scared that you wouldn't listen, that you'd run from me, and I'd be all alone…"_

_"No, no, Ichigo, never, you're my other half. Totally and completely, can you hear the old man?" he asked._

_Ichigo looked up and frowned at the man with the dark cloak and the dark hair and blinked with weariness. "Old man?" he asked. The man stood on his pole and waited. "I know you…Zangetsu…" he whispered and the world exploded in brilliance, the sun burning away the water and the rain receding. Ichigo clutched to Shiro as the light washed over them both, and they each felt it to the darkest corner of their souls. And somehow, they felt so very complete._

Shiro sat up with a start and found himself staring into Ichigo's wide brown eyes. "Did you…see that?" he whispered to Ichigo.

"Zangetsu…" he whispered and Shiro nodded. "It was real," he said quietly. "And you're awake! Grimmjow!" he called.

Grimmjow started then gasped coming to pull Ichigo and Shiro both into a hug. "Ichigo!" he exclaimed and Ichigo felt tears on his shoulder from both of them. "We were so scared…"

Ichigo was overwhelmed at the reaction. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, tears leaking slowly from his own eyes. "I didn't mean to scare anyone…I just…I…"

Shiro smiled and silenced him with a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips, causing the orangette to blink for a moment. "I have to call Kisuke, he'll be ecstatic…"

Ichigo found himself wrapped up in warm, soft arms and he couldn't imagine why. He felt safe though, his hands reaching out now and then to brush against Grimmjow's strong arms where they held him securely. He stared incomprehensible as this was. The long muscles of Grimmjow's arms were trembling, just slightly. Shiro came back and slid into the bed on the other side, wrapping his arm around his back.

"I had a weird dream," Shiro said. "There was this old man, and Ichigo was there, and he told me we were two halves of the same soul, and that you and the others needed to find your spirit and accept it in order to heal…when Ichigo named him, this light came and we woke up. Ichigo had the same dream, isn't that strange? He said we were Hollow children…"

Grimmjow nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I dreamed something too. I saw a great black panther. I asked his name, and he said it was Pantera, and that those who are hollow should become whole. When I said his name, it was so beautiful…then you were calling me. Do you think that it is like what you saw? I feel…content. I don't ache so much…" He absently put a hand on his stomach, seemingly without thinking.

Moments later the door opened and the ever eccentric and very disheveled looking Kisuke entered with a flourish. He sighed deeply at the sight before him, his heart lifting. He'd expected the worst, as before, to have his new ward restrained, like the others after they had woken from failed suicide attempts. But he wasn't. Ichigo say there, wrapped between Grimmjow and Shiro with a look of absolute confusion on his face. But there was no anger at being alive. No, there was something else in his eyes.

"Oh Ichigo!" he said, sighing with a small smile. "I was so worried, I wasn't there when you needed me, and I'm so sorry…"

Ichigo frowned and shook his head, his expression unreadable. "You have nothing to be sorry for, I chose to try and end my life, and I didn't…I didn't think I'd be missed…and I guess, I was wrong?"

Kisuke sat down on the end of the bed and patted his foot. "You have no idea how wrong you are, Ichigo. And I have news. Your Uncle Kaien is going to take Karin and Yuzu in as his own, they'll be adopted as Shibas. His wife Miyako can't bear children. He's leaving his captain's post and becoming a part of Fourteen, and moving here so you and your sisters can be together anytime you want to be, and they'll have a mother and father again."

Ichigo's eyes brimmed again. "Oh, thank you Kisuke…" he said softly, wiping at his eyes carefully with his bandaged arm.

There was a knock and Ryuken came in and smiled at them kindly, an unusual expression on him. "I thought I heard more jubilant exaltations from in here, meaning our patient had woken up."

Ichigo lowered his gaze, still unsure of others for the most part. Ryuken came closer and Grimmjow held onto him as he flinched at the proximity. Ryuken noticed immediately. "Ichigo, I'm not going to touch you, I'm just checking the IV and medicine. And I have some news from Tessai. The three women you have in custody are all without child. There will be no issue from their attack."

Ichigo breathed a sigh of great relief. Who wanted to be a father at fifteen anyway? He sagged into Grimmjow and felt Shiro rub circles around his back.

Ryuken smiled. "Now, Ichigo, I do need to change the dressing on your arm. Shiro can sit right there, and you can lay your arm in his lap even, do you think we could do that?"

Ichigo nodded slowly, still unsure. Shiro smiled and moved so he could extend Ichigo's forearm over his lap. Ryuken proceeded to diligently remove the old bandage and Ichigo stared curiously at the wound. It was jagged and he remembered vividly the pain that ripped through him when he made the cut. Of course he did, he was incapable of forgetting anything. The strange feeling when the nerves were hit by the metal of the scissors wasn't easy to forget. He watched as he remembered. The white haired doctor cleansed it and put an ointment on the cut, then re-bandaged it tightly.

"There, no sign of infection, and it will heal, leaving a scar of course, but I've done my best to make it a small one," he said, looking at Ichigo, who stared and the bandage with a furrowed brow. "Ichigo, I…think I need to apologize to you."

Ichigo looked up and stared at the man, mother's brother… "I left you to a situation that my sister would have hated to see happen. Your mother, she was one of the lights in my life. When she died, all I had left was my wife. And then she was gone. And all I could do was blame your father. In his grief, he drank, and he operated on Uryu's mother. There was a mistake, and she died. My hatred bloomed, and I couldn't see the pain that drove him to do the things he did. If…if I had seen it…if I had not been blinded by my own pain, I might have been able to help him…and help you."

He looked up and Ichigo was shocked to see tears glistening in the man's eyes. "You have no reason to forgive any of us, any of those that sat back and watched without seeing. My son, Uryu tried to tell me so many times. He tried to tell me that he thought something was wrong, and I didn't listen. Uryu isn't at fault, neither is Renji or your other friends, so don't be angry to them. However, those of us, the adults in your life, we deserve that anger. Uryu told me so many things, and as a doctor, I should have realized. Your teachers should have realized. So many people let you down, Ichigo. And I'm so sorry."

"But…I don't…I'm not angry at anyone," Ichigo said finally, looking down at his hands. "Just myself," he said finally.

Shiro moved then and planted both hands on his shoulders and pulled him around. Grimmjow reached over and lifted his chin. "Ichigo, you have no reason to be angry at yourself. You have every reason to be angry at this man," he said pointing to Ryuken, who didn't respond because it was true. "Every teacher you had that complained that you didn't speak when spoken to and never bothered to ask _why_. Every time you had no doctor's excuse even though you had a broken limb or something that kept you from gym. Every parent of every one of your friends who was told repeatedly that something was wrong with their friend. Especially those that saw you. They should have _known_, Ichigo. They were grown-ups, and we depended on them. And they let us down. All of the grown-ups in our lives, that's why we're with Kisuke. Everyone let me down. Everyone let Grimmjow down. We are the only ones who don't let each other down, Ichigo. We're Kisuke's kids, and we take care of each other, and Kisuke, he's our dad now. All of us."

Grimmjow spoke from where he sat holding Ichigo's back against his chest. "We're the ones that the world forgot about, Ichigo. All of us, the world let us down. And we all have no reason to love the world. And you more than most. Ichigo, _everyone_ ignored what was happening for six years. A ten year old shouldn't suddenly stop talking. A twelve year old shouldn't come to school with black eyes and broken bones. There were so many signs, and too many times that adults could have helped you, could have stopped everything. And they chose to ignore it. But look at you, Ichigo, you don't blame any of them, no matter how deserving of blame they all are. You instead blame yourself for causing pain to others, and ignore your own."

Kisuke had chosen to ignore the wetness on his face as he watched his boys. The change in Grimmjow and Shiro was amazing. They had been so bitter with the world, closing in on themselves until no one else mattered, no one else could get into their lives. They hated everyone, except Kisuke and the other kids. They trusted no one else. They had no reason to. And then, Ichigo comes along, someone that should hate so much, and instead only loved those around him and wanted to help. His suicide attempt wasn't about his own pain. It was about feeling that he wasn't needed anymore. And that…that had to be changed in his foster son's mind.

"Ichigo," Kisuke said finally, the brown eyes shifting to stare over Shiro's shoulder. "I need you to stay with me. I need you to stay with _us. _You are such a beautiful person, even after everything, you don't hate anyone. And that means so much. You have a reason for being with us. You teach us what it is to love unconditionally and more than that, to _forgive_. Something that we forget."

Ichigo couldn't hold back the tears now that were slipping from his eyes. He was confused, but his heart was full for the first time in years since he was a child soaked with his mother's blood. Shiro yanked him forward and embraced him with such fervor that he thought he was going to break apart. His hands wrapped around his back and he sobbed into the blue shirt the albino wore. He really had to stop crying all the time. It wasn't very manly. But they didn't care, so neither did he. He didn't notice when Ryuken and Kisuke both left, leaving the three boys embracing each other. Ichigo finally sighed against Shiro, eyes heavy again. Ryuken must have put pain medicine in the IV when he was over there.

Shiro laid him back and ran hands over his head and kissed his forehead gently as his brown eyes slipped closed. He looked up at Grimmjow who leaned over and kissed Ichigo's forehead as well, and then gripped Shiro's hand. They resumed their positions on either side of the bed, hands linked over Ichigo's sleeping form.

oooooo – Waiting Room – oooooo

Kisuke came out, his eyes still slightly red, but with a smile on his face. Immediately, he was rushed by eight Visored, all of Ichigo's friends, and the rest of his kids. Tessai and Yourichi stood back a bit, watching the group.

"Hush!" he called, settling them all down. "He's awake, well, he's asleep now, but he's on pain medication so that's expected."

"How…is he?" Shinji asked, his hand gripping Uryu's tightly.

"As expected, he's confused, but he's…not angry," he said with a smile. "He's confused that he was worried over, and he keeps apologizing to everyone."

There was a collective sigh of relief. Anger made it difficult, and if he was sorry for what he did…for trying to take his life, that meant so much more. Karin and Yuzu was hugging each other and Toshiro sat heavily in his seat with a sigh. Everyone had their own reaction that their newest was going to be okay.

"It will be a long road," Kisuke said softly. "He has a lot to come to terms with. A lot he has to understand. And the best all of you can do is try to make him understand how much he means to you and that you want him for him, not for what he does or can do."

Everyone began talking with each other and Kisuke's smile met a similar one on Yourichi's face. It wouldn't be easy. But with Kaien and Kensei and what they had planned, it might just get easier. Kisuke was used to being the only home in an area. Kensei and the girls running a lower level home would help a great deal. Kisuke would still take all the Kiss Kids he could handle. But a second group would mean those like Toshiro would have a place to go with less surveillance, less restrictions.

Kisuke was lost in his thoughts for a moment before he realized that the room had gone quiet. He looked up to realize that the Old Man and Kaien had come into the room, silencing everyone. He walked over to where Kisuke stood.

"Captain, it would seem I have re-evaluated some things. I would like to see my grandson."

Kisuke nodded and led the way to the room. Several people stopped and stared openly. The Old Man cut a strong figure, to be sure, but those who realized who he was were the ones that stopped. He was, after all, very recognizable with the extremely long white beard. Even in a suit, he was obviously a man of great strength. Suddenly before them came another suited man flanked by several others.

"General!" the man practiacally squeaked, using the official title for the single head of the National Agency. "I…I didn't know you were in the hospital, I'm terribly sorry, you should have an appropriate escort, I knew Captain Urahara was here of course, but…"

Yamamoto stopped, turning to stare at the head of the hospital and his cronies. Administrators.

"Do you know why I am here?" he asked.

"Of course, Captain Urahara had a child from his home admitted, and I'm sure that considering that the boy lied about what happened with his father, then you are investigating the situation," he said, a smug look crossing his face. "I'm not sure why Dr. Ishida has been assigned and won't allow nurses into the room with him. I will remedy that immediately!"

"Stop speaking to me," Yamamoto said harshly. "You deem to accuse my own grandson of lying?"

The man gasped. "Y-your grandson?"

"My son was Isshin Kurosaki. My grandson is Ichigo Kurosaki. Isshin is dead. You may wish to update your records."

The man blinked. "What? Why is he dead? I thought he was arrested for the accusation that he had abused his son?"

"He did abuse his son. For six years, and no one saw it because my son was 'upstanding' in the community. His teachers ignored his bruises. His friends fretted and told their parents. They also ignored it, saying it was none of their concern. Ryuken Ishida ignored it. He is a doctor and Ichigo's uncle. And then, though under influence of drugs he was given and manipulated into it, he raped his own child. If it were not for the fact that he had been forced into the act, I would have killed my son with my own hands. He had a death sentence already. As it was, my grandson was kidnapped and to rescue him, Isshin sacrificed his life to keep him safe in repentance for what he did. Captains Urahara and Captain Kuchiki will be coming for a staff meeting at this hospital in the next few weeks. They will also be touring to visit school staffs. My grandson attempted to kill himself because of _your _inattention. And mine. That changes now," he said, spinning on his heels and walking toward the room.

Kaien stared for a moment. "And for the record, Isshin was my brother. And Ichigo is my nephew. I'm moving to Karakura and adopting his sisters and raising them as my own. This will not happen again. I am becoming a part of Captain Urahara's division. Expect my presence often when children are in your hospital. No one is beyond my suspicion. And considering your attitude about my brother and nephew, you are under a great deal at the moment."

Kaien looked after his father. "Actually, if you are still employed after today, I'm certain it will be miraculous."

Kaien left the three forgotten men behind him. He didn't care of their names or looks. He had one destination. He caught up with his father and Kisuke who stood waiting outside the door. For the first time in so many years, his father looked old.

"Go on, Father," Kaien said, using the name he hadn't uttered since he was twelve years old. "I think he needs to know a few things."

The Old Man pushed the door open and smiled softly at the sight. Grimmjow was asleep against the wall, sitting on the right side, arm wrapped around Ichigo's back, other arm laying across his chest entwined with Shiro's. Shiro mirrored Grimmjow, his arm under Ichigo's back too, and had fallen asleep with his head tipped back and against Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo, however, had woken up and was staring at the ceiling thoughtfully and fully trapped by the two bodies over him. He looked when the doors open, frowning the man he'd had yet to see as he entered the room. He saw a dark haired man behind him with Kisuke. Kisuke smiled gently.

"Ichigo, I've got some people to meet. I told you about your uncle Kaien," he said gesturing to the dark haired man. The family resemblance was remarkable, he thought. "And this, Ichigo, is his father, your grandfather, and the head of the National Agency, General Yamamoto."

Grimmjow blinked from his position and saw all the people. He looked at Kisuke. "Oh, I think I'll head down for some food, oi, Shiro, wanna come?" he said, yanking the albino's hand. Shiro jolted awake and realized who was there.

"Oh, yeah, you okay if we leave, Ichi-berry?" he asked. Ichigo nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. They headed out and down, first to the waiting room to snag any other hungry people, then to the cafeteria.

After they'd left, the Old Man sat down in the seat closest to Ichigo and Kaien stood beside him. "Ichigo, I must first apologize," he began. Ichigo looked about to protest. "No, my boy, I must. Because I abandoned your family, believing it in the best interest of you and your father. I couldn't have been more wrong, I see that now. Strong family bonds may have stopped what occurred. I have wronged your father and I have wrong you. I must ask forgivness because your father was not the only father to have sinned."

Ichigo's eyes were already tearing. "I can't…I mean, I forgive you…um…" he stammered, not sure what to say. "I mean, how can I not forgive you for trying to do what you thought was right?"

"The arrangements for my wife and me to move here have already been made. Tomorrow, we're moving into a home not far from the shoten. The paperwork has already been put through, and your sisters are officially our adopted children. They can come to the shoten anytime, and you are welcome to our home anytime as well. There is an extra room set up for you anytime you want it. I too, am so sorry. And…if you don't trust me yet, I don't blame you," Kaien said, smiling gently at the boy.

"I am happy they'll have a normal life, with a mom and dad and they couldn't living with Kisuke like me," he said, staring at his hands. "I mean, I know I…I can't have one. Not a normal life, but that's okay because I have Kisuke and Shiro and Grimmjow and I don't wanna leave them," he said looking up.

"Ichigo, I will ask permission to be a part of your life," the Old Man asked, his eyes cracking open a bit and staring at the boy.

Ichigo's brow furrowed. "You…want to be in my life? I mean, I'm pretty well messed up, and I don't know if I'm worth that kind of attention," he said, picking at the covers with his bandaged arm.

The Old Man reached out and grasped his hand and pulled it toward him. "I do. I want to help you. And I want you to realize that you are wanted. So very much. I want to see my grandson, and see what he turns into."

Ichigo stared for a long moment at his hand. "But…but because of me…Pop…he's dead…if I hadn't been there…then it wouldn't…"

The hand squeezed with surprising strength. "No, do not do this. Aizen ordered your mother's death. And it was a miracle you were not killed as he ordered. Your father chose to visit the inside of a bottle rather than deal with the pain. He chose to blame you for something beyond your ability to control. You were a child. You were to be protected and loved, but he could not see through his own pain and grief. And I didn't see any of it. Ichigo, you need to see, you haven't let any of us down. It is us who have let you down," he said, letting go and standing. "I'll leave you to recover, but I'll be remaining in town for the next month. I wish to get to know my grandson and granddaughters. And their significant others," he added with a smirk.

With that, he turned and left with Kaien, leaving Ichigo alone with Kisuke. Kisuke sat down beside him on the bed and took his hand. "Ichigo, will you allow me to be your father, then? To replace that which was taken from you six years ago? Because Aizen didn't kill your mother that night, he killed both mother and father. You've been alone in the rain for so long. I want to fix that if I can," he said softly, looking up, locking grey eyes with brown. Ichigo felt tears again and nodded.

"I mean, on paper too," Kisuke said softly. "I've never…never adopted any of my kids. But…I would like to make that change. I would ask your permission, and if you would rather…"

"Yes," Ichigo said, eyes spilling over finally. "I…I mean…I don't care, my name is meaningless, it isn't even my real name, is it? But…but I'm so…broken…I can't promise…" he said, staring at his arms again. He couldn't promise never to hurt himself. He couldn't bring himself to make the words come out because he honestly didn't know if they were true.

Kisuke placed a hand on his arm. "That's what I'll be there for. Every step of the way. Remember, I specialize in broken. I'm rather good at fixing broken things. And you'll have Shiro and Grimmjow. I don't know how, but you broke the ice around that pair and they've fallen in love with you in a short time."

"Shiro is the other half of my soul," he said softly, getting an arched brow from Kisuke. "Something in a dream, this old man with black hair named Zangetsu, said we were hollow and Shiro and I were two halves of the same soul. He…he said that we were all hollow, and had a hole that could only be filled by accepting our spirits. He said he was mine…Shiro had the same dream, isn't that strange?"

Kisuke's eyes were wide, and he swallowed hard. "Zangetsu?" he said quietly, thinking back to a time when he was a child. A time when he heard the phrase "hollow child".

_Rain was so familiar to the little blonde boy with the gray hair. He sat with it on the outside, and on the inside. Tears often fell from his soft eyes. The only thing he had left that belonged to his father were an ancient set of geta that he was far too small to wear. He looked up, though and a woman kneeled beside him._

_"Are you lost, child?" she said quietly._

_"I'm alone now," he said, clutching the wooden geta protectively to his chest._

_"How old are you?" she asked, kneeling, the yukata she was wearing getting soaked._

_"Nine," he said softly._

_"And where are your parents?" she asked._

_"They died. I left when I ran out of food and came to town," he said. "These were papa's." He held up the geta and she saw that he was crying._

_"Can I bring you in out of the rain?" she asked. "What's your name?"_

_"Kisuke," he said quietly._

_"Kisuke, my name is Ayumu Urahara. Come in out of the rain, Kisuke," she said, and he went with her._

_It took a week for him to speak again, and then he cried more often than not. Finally, Ayumu sat him down one night._

_"Kisuke, do you know what the word hollow means?" she asked._

_He shook his head, words still far away for him._

_"Hollow is like a hole, but it is in your heart, your very soul. Sometimes, when we are in great pain, a hollow space forms inside us. And it hurts so much. And we have to fill that space up so the hurting stops, you know? And right now, you're a child with a hollow space inside, and I want to be the one to fill it, my love. You are a gift, even if you don't understand. It was not meant to be that I would have children, and finding you has given me a reason to live. You've filled a hollow space inside my heart. And now, you have to find what completes you, Kisuke. You are a hollow child, and you much accept that which is inside you that completes you. Find the name that resonates with your soul. Find the spirit that drives you, my boy," she said, brushing unruly blond hair from his eyes and kissing his forehead. _

_"I've a present. This used to be my husband's before he died last year. And I want you to have it," she said and dumped a way too big bucket hat on his head with green and white stripes. "Maybe it will guide you, love."_

_She left him then and he laid back, covering his face with his head and falling asleep. A woman stood before him. She was whispering intently to him. He couldn't understand and the he realized. The hollow inside…she was what he had to accept. Everything he had tried to forget. _

_"Benehime," he whispered, and she embraced him, covering him with a red shield that felt so warm. _

_He woke the next day feeling better than he had in the weeks since his parents had been killed. He went in the breakfast room and hugged Ayumu. "Mom, I love you," he whispered to her and she embraced him with tears streaming from her bright blue eyes._

"Hollow child?" he asked, standing up thoughtfully. "Yes, my kids are all hollow children, just as I once was," he said with a sad smile. "Accept the spirit, and the hollow spaces fill with the love and the pain fades away," he continued, touching the hat absently.

Ichigo had expected him to say h e was crazy. That there was no way. But no… Kisuke smiled.

"For me, her name is Benehime," he said. "She drug me out of the depths when I was a very young child, abandoned on the streets at nine when my parents were killed. My mother, adopted, took me in. And later, that's what brought me to taking in other hollow children I guess. Each call, I could sense the hollowness. Something about it, I knew the kids that needed me the most."

There were no words for a while. He sat holding Kisuke's hand and thought. The man had asked him to become his son, his real son, not just one of the foster kids he cared for. "Okay," he said finally. "I'll accept you if you'll accept me," he said. "But…won't the thing with Shiro and Grimmjow be weird…sicne they're like your kids too?"

Kisuke smiled. "I'm not adopting them, so you aren't really related, Ichigo. Don't worry. Hollow children are best understood by other hollow children…"

They looked up just then to Grimmjow and Shiro coming in with an excited Karin and Yuzu. Ichigo was tied up with them for a long while, as they extolled the virtues of Kaien, his wife, and their new house. All their things were going to be moved the next day, and then the next day, everything from their old house was being moved to storage for a time that they were ready to go through their father and mother's things. Before long, it was dark and Ryuken came back.

Kisuke sat quietly in the back and he approached him. "He can go home with you tomorrow, as long as you keep a close watch." Kisuke arched a brow to indicate that that was a really stupid question. "I know, you have more cameras than a max security, but it didn't stop him last time…" he said warningly.

"Something tells me the boy won't be going anywhere alone for a long while. I already had to arrange for the three of them to homeschool together, since Ichigo won't return right now, Grimmjow and Shiro refuse to let him do it alone since they're all the same level," he said.

At Ichigo's bed, Shiro was fussing with the IV line and setting his pillows to a more comfortable position, and Grimmjow leaned back against the wall with Ichigo settled into the hollow of his shoulder telling Shiro to quit hovering and lay the hell down.

"Are you sure this is going to be okay? I'd hate to see Ichigo hurt if this…relationship between the three of them doesn't work…" Ryuken said softly.

"You don't know Grimm and Shiro. Those two are inseparable, and Ichigo pierced the ice they had covered themselves with completely. Shiro sees him as someone he can protect like Grimmjow protects him. And Grimmjow just wants to protect them both," he said. "I don't think there is danger of them hurting Ichigo. They are loyal to a fault once they set their mind to it."

"Okay, I just…I don't want to see him back in this condition, you know?" Ryuken said softly.

Kisuke smiled and patted his hand. "I know."

The next day, after noon, he was taken home. While he'd been gone, the others had done some rearranging. Kisuke had taken a smaller room, and given the largest room over for the three boys to share. He didn't want Ichigo alone, and it seemed for the best. Three dressers and the closet was large enough, though Shiro and Ichigo were so similar in size and build their clothes were mostly interchangeable. Ichigo smiled at the room and flopped into one of the two futons. His soreness was mostly gone, and it was good to not be in a hospital bed.

It was less than a minute before he was piled between two bodies and Shiro had latched onto his mouth suddenly, sucking the breath from him. He blinked as the lips moved across his, soft and gently, and then felt a tickle as his tongue flicked across his lip. It surprised him but it wasn't anything like what those women had done, forcing his mouth open and trying to coax him into kissing. No this…this was a request. He parted his lips and Shiro complied, tangling with Ichigo's and smiling against him when Ichigo moaned into his mouth. He sat back and stared down at his flushed face.

"I think it is quite safe to say that you are definitely gay," he said and winked, laying down beside him with his head propped on his elbow.

Grimmjow tangled his hand in his orange hair and he felt the flinch still. "Shh, you are the one in control, Ichi-love. Remember that. You want, you ask. For now, a hug is sufficient for my part," he said squeezing him tightly.

But he was surprised when he was straddled by the orangette suddenly, his pinked lips on his and requesting entrance on him. He opened his mouth and let Ichigo explore him. He felt Shiro's hand on Ichigo's back and then Ichigo moved to more fully explore Shiro's mouth. After a good fifteen minutes of kissing each other senseless, they were all panting when Kisuke called that it was dinner time from the door.

Grudgingly they stood and went to eat with the others. Ichigo, though, reached out and tangled his hand with Shiro, and then with Grimmjow and let them lead him from the room.

Things weren't perfect. He was still broken in far too many pieces. But he was gathering those pieces together, and between Grimmjow, Shiro and Kisuke, he felt like one day, he would be whole again, and he would be out of the rain for good.


End file.
